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Home » Side Dish » Jellied Cranberry Sauce

Published: Nov 1, 2021 by Kathy · This post may contain affiliate links

Jellied Cranberry Sauce

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Slices of cranberry sauce on a plate.

Tart and delicious and shaped just like the jellied cranberry sauce you'd get from a can, but made with only two ingredients! A must have to serve alongside your turkey for holiday dinners!

Make this cranberry sauce ahead of time for less stress when preparing for your holiday meal.

Slices of cranberry sauce with a sprig of parsley.
Table of Contents
Why make homemade cranberry sauce
Ingredients
Step by step directions
Recipe tips
Flavor add-ins
Recipe Faqs
More holiday recipes
Jellied Cranberry Sauce

Why make homemade cranberry sauce

For my family, cranberry sauce is an absolute must to serve with our holiday turkey! I like to serve two kinds - this jellied sauce and a whole berry cranberry sauce.

Making your own cranberry sauce isn't difficult. The hardest part is straining the cranberries and it just takes a bit of time pushing all the pulp through a fine meshed strainer.

When a recipe only calls for two ingredients, (plus water) and no high fructose corn syrup like the canned varieties, you will want to want to make this yourself!

Cranberries naturally are high in pectin and when you cook cranberries, that pectin is released. Pectin allows the sauce to thicken and hold its shape. I placed my sauce into a small jelly jar and then refrigerated it.

When ready to use, I simply slide a butter knife around the edges and had a perfectly shaped jellied cranberry sauce!

My sister is a bit of a fanatic about her canned cranberry sauce, but I'm thinking I might be able to convert her with this homemade variety!

Ingredients

Bowls of fresh cranberries and granulated sugar.
  • Fresh cranberries - frozen can be used too
  • Granulated sugar
  • Water

Step by step directions

  • 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
Cranberries and sugar in a saucepan.
Cooked cranberries in a pot.
  • Cook until the liquid from the cranberries is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon
A wooden spoon covered with a red sauce.
  • Pour cooked cranberries into a sieve over a bowl
  • Use a spatula or spoon to push the liquid and pulp through the sieve
  • Discard the seeds and skin
Cranberries in a fine sieve.
Strained cranberries with seeds left in a sieve.
  • Pour cranberry sauce into a small glass jar
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until fully chilled
Cranberry sauce in a glass measuring cup.
Pouring sauce into a jelly jar.

When ready to use

  • 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.
Running a butter knife around the inside of a jar filled with jellied cranberry sauce.
Jellied sauce slipping out of a jar onto a plate.
  • Slice and arrange with slices overlapping
Slice jellied cranberry sauce.

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 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.

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

Recipe Faqs

How long does homemade cranberry sauce last?

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.

More holiday recipes

  • Whole berry cranberry sauce
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Green beans
  • Dinner rolls
  • Sweet potato casserole
  • Baked ham with citrus glaze
Slices of cranberry sauce on a plate.

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!

  • Avocado Corn Salad
  • Garlic Butter Pasta
  • Green Beans with Bacon
  • Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Slices of cranberry sauce with a sprig of parsley.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce

Kathy
Tart homemade jellied cranberry sauce perfect for slicing into rounds
5 from 20 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Chilling Time 2 hrs
Total Time 2 hrs 25 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 1 cup
Calories 116 kcal

Equipment

  • Sieve
  • Measuring Cups
Prevent your screen from going dark

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 heat
    12 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.
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
 
Nutritional value has been estimated at cutting the jellied cranberry sauce into 8 slices.

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 116kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 37mgFiber: 2gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 26IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg
Keyword cranberry sauce, jellied cranberry sauce
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @BeyondTheChickenCoop or tag #beyondthechickencoop!

Recipe adapted from Ocean Spray.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Judy says

    November 23, 2021 at 6:35 pm

    5 stars
    I made this for Thanksgiving . I added a little orange juice, and it was so good!Thank you….so simple but so good!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      November 24, 2021 at 6:00 am

      Thank you, Judy! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
      Kathy 🙂

      Reply
  2. David @ Spiced says

    November 02, 2021 at 4:55 am

    5 stars
    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!!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      November 02, 2021 at 6:21 am

      It's fun to make! 🙂

      Reply

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I'm Kathy, a busy working mom who loves to cook from scratch, grow a garden, and raise farm animals. Take a look around and find all my recipes, gardening tips, and country living antics.

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