The star of Thanksgiving dinner is the turkey. But what really makes the turkey shine are all the side dishes. Cranberry sauce is an absolute must with any turkey dinner.
Why you’ll love this Cranberry Jelly
In my family, we always serve two kinds of cranberry sauce. I always make whole berry cranberry sauce and to please my sister, I came up with a recipe to make homemade jellied cranberry sauce. She has always loved the store-bought canned version and she always wants it to be sliced into nice rounds before serving.
This recipe meets my requirements for being homemade and I made certain to include everything you need to know so it can be shaped just like the canned stuff. It’s in a cylindrical shape and can be slid right out of the jar and sliced into perfect round discs. My sister loves this homemade version as much as I do!
If you love cranberry sauce all year long, check out this recipe for how to can cranberry sauce!
Cranberry Jelly Recipe Ingredients
This section reviews the best ingredients and substitutions for this recipe. For an exact list of ingredients and quantities, check the recipe card below.
- Fresh cranberries - frozen can be used too
- Granulated sugar
- Water
How to make Cranberry Sauce
In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.
- Place cranberries, sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat
- Stir until sugar dissolves
- The berries will begin to pop as they heat up and then they will begin to break down and the sauce will become thicker
4. Cook until the liquid from the cranberries is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon
5. Pour cooked cranberries into a sieve over a bowl
6. Use a spatula or spoon to push the liquid and pulp through the sieve
7. Discard the seeds and skin
8. Pour cranberry sauce into a small glass jar
9. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until fully chilled
How to serve Cranberry Sauce
- Remove from refrigerator and slide a butter knife around the inside of the jar
- Slowly let cranberry sauce slip from the jar. If the sauce is resistant and doesn't want to slide out, dip the bottom of the jar in hot tap water for 30 seconds and try again.
- Slice and arrange with slices overlapping
Flavor add-ins
If you're looking to jazz up plain cranberry sauce you can add any one of these ingredients to the sauce while it is cooking. Remove before straining.
- Cinnamon stick
- Orange peel
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh ginger
Cranberry Jelly Recipe tips
- Cook over low to medium-low heat to avoid scorching
- Stir berries often
- Straining the berries takes a bit of patience. Use a heavy-duty spoon, a spatula or the bottom of a soup ladle.
- Be certain to scrape the bottom, or outside of the sieve. A lot of strained pulp will cling to the sieve.
- Place in a jelly jar for the cylindrical shape. Can also be placed into a bowl, if preferred.
- Make certain cranberry sauce is fully chilled before removing from jar
- Use a knife to release the sauce. If the sauce is sticking, dip the end of the jar into warm water for 30 seconds.
How to store Jellied Cranberry Sauce
This sauce will last up to two weeks if covered and refrigerated.
Can I freeze cranberry sauce?
Yes, this sauce can be frozen. Place into jelly jars and allow to cool. Once cool, cover and place in freezer.
To use, remove from freezer and allow to thaw.
Cranberry Jelly FAQs
Yes, jellied cranberry is cranberry sauce. There are a lot of versions of cranberry sauce and a jellied version uses the juice and pulp from the cranberries but removes the skin and the seeds.
Sugar will help remove the bitterness from cranberry sauce. You can also add a bit of orange juice which will help mellow the bitterness.
If you sauce isn’t gelling, it needs to be cooked longer. Keep in mind, the sauce will continue to set up while it’s cooling.
More holiday recipes
- Whole berry cranberry sauce
- Mashed potatoes
- Green beans
- Dinner rolls
- Sweet potato casserole
- Baked ham with citrus glaze
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Be certain to check out all my delicious side dish recipes!
Jellied Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cranberries (1 bag)
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup water
Instructions
Sauce
- Place cranberries, sugar and water in a saucepan over medium low heat12 ounces cranberries, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup water
- Stir every few minutes until berries have popped and the sauce has thickened. Test by coating the back of a spoon with the sauce. Run your finger through the sauce on the spoon. If the sauce stays separated, it is done.
- Place sauce in a fine meshed sieve over a bowl. Mash the berries and the sauce so it gets pushed through the sieve. You will have about ½ cup of seeds and skin left.
- Pour strained sauce into a jelly glass. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until fully cooled.
To serve
- Remove from refrigerator and slide a butter knife around the inside of the jar. Slowly let cranberry sauce slip from the jar. If the sauce is resistant and doesn't want to slide out, dip the bottom of the jar in hot tap water for 30 seconds and try again.
Notes
- Recipe yields 1 - 1 ¼ cups of sauce
- Cook over low to medium low heat to avoid scorching
- Stir berries often
- Straining the berries takes a bit of patience. Use a heavy duty spoon, a spatula or the bottom of a soup ladle.
- Be certain to scrape the bottom or outside of the sieve. A lot of strained pulp will cling to the sieve.
- Place in a jelly jar for the cylindrical shape. Can also be place into a bowl, if prefered.
- Make certain cranberry sauce is fully chilled before removing from jar
- Use a knife to release the sauce. If sauce is sticking, dip end of jar into warm water for 30 seconds.
- Cinnamon stick
- Orange peel
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh ginger
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Meaghan says
If I Water bath it, would it keep longer than 10 days? Would it be shelf stable?
Kathy says
Hi Meaghan,
Yes, you can water bath this sauce making it shelf stable. Follow the steps for How to Can Cranberry Sauce. The processing time will be the same for the whole berry and the jellied cranberry sauce.
Kathy
Wendy says
Tastes great! It's been 5 hours and still hasn't set up, did I not cook long enough?
Kathy says
It should be set by now. I'd take it out of the jars and reboil it. Make certain it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Kay Sockol says
This is a tasty and easy to make jellied cranberry sauce! I thought the process of pressing the cooked cranberries through the sieve would be hard but it was easy and took very little time! Thank you, Kathy! (I like your chicken, too😊 Is it a barred rock?)
Kathy says
Hi,
Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the cranberry sauce! 🙂 Yes, that is a barred rock! We have a variety of chickens at all times.
Kathy
Jessica says
How long would this be good for or what is the refrigerator life once made?
Kathy says
Hi Jessica,
Once made you'll want to use this within 10 days.
Enjoy!
Kathy 🙂
Sheila says
Would a food mill work for straining
Kathy says
Hi Sheila,
I'm not certain a food mill will be fine enough to pull those small seeds out. It may depend on your food mill though.
Kathy
Judy says
I made this for Thanksgiving . I added a little orange juice, and it was so good!Thank you….so simple but so good!
Kathy says
Thank you, Judy! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Kathy 🙂
David @ Spiced says
I've never been a fan of the canned version of cranberry sauce. I typically make my own version here at home, but I've never made a jellied version. I might have to try one of each this year - thanks for sharing!!
Kathy says
It's fun to make! 🙂