As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Learn all the tips and tricks for How to Freeze Cranberries to keep a stash of this short-season fruit in your freezer. Learning about freezing cranberries is a great way to preserve this delicious staple of so many baked goods and holiday recipes.
Cranberries, those tart little fruits are so delicious in many seasonal recipes. Sadly, they’re only available for a very short window each season.
So when you find a great deal on fresh cranberries, stock up, and let’s get to freezing them!
If you’re running out of freezer space did you know that you’re also able to can cranberry sauce? It’s true!
You may also want to check out how to freeze pumpkin pie, freezing mashed potatoes, and how to freeze gravy.
Equipment needed
For freezing cranberries, some helpful items are:
- Cranberries! You’ll find fresh cranberries mid-September through mid-November in North America.
- Rimmed baking sheet so that the cranberries won’t roll off the pan in your freezer.
- Parchment paper – to keep the cranberries from freezing to the tray.
- Freezer storage – I love these reusable bags.
- Souper Cubes – very helpful if you want to freeze the cranberries in water or are freezing cranberry sauce or cranberry juice.
A traditional 12 oz bag of cranberries at the store yields about 3 cups of cranberries. They would fit best in a quart-sized bag or container.
How to Freeze Cranberry Sauce
If you’re using homemade cranberry sauce, allow it to fully cool before freezing. This will prevent a layer of ice from building up on the surface of the cranberry sauce.
Transfer cooled cranberry sauce to freezer-safe containers. I love wide-mouth pint mason jars or 1-cup Souper Cubes. You can also use freezer bags.
Pro tip: if using mason jars, allow for 1-inch of space between the top of the cranberry sauce and the top of the jar’s rim. This is called headspace, and it allows for the sauce to expand in the freezer.
How to Freeze Cranberry Juice
I recommend freezing cranberry juice in single-serve portions. This allows you to not have to thaw a ton of cranberry juice, when you only need a bit.
You can pour cranberry juice into half-pint or wide-mouth pint mason jars, 1-cup Souper Cubes, or ice cube trays.
Pro tip: if using mason jars, allow for 1 inch of space between the top of the cranberry juice and the top of the jar’s rim.
Get my Canning e-book!
It’s 51 pages of every helpful tip and trick you could want as a brand new canner, AND it includes 13 ad-free canning recipes that are designed to take you from novice to pro.
How to Freeze Cranberries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz cranberries
Instructions
How to Freeze Fresh Cranberries
- Rinse cranberries in a strainer and allow them to dry a bit. Discard any bad cranberries.12 oz cranberries
- Spread onto a clean towel to absorb any additional water.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.
- Gently pour the cranberries onto the baking sheet and place the tray in the freezer.
- Freeze for three hours.
- Break apart any clumps that have formed on the baking sheet and transfer the cranberries to freezer-proof storage.
How to Freeze Cranberry Sauce
- If you’re using homemade cranberry sauce, allow it to fully cool before freezing.
- Transfer cooled cranberry sauce to freezer-safe containers.
- If you're using canning jars or other containers with lids, allow for 1 inch of space between the top of the cranberry sauce and the top of the jar’s rim. This is called headspace, and it allows for the sauce to expand in the freeze
How to Freeze Cranberry Juice
- I recommend freezing cranberry juice in single-serve portions.
- If using mason jars, allow for 1 inch of space between the top of the cranberry juice and the top of the jar’s rim.
Notes
- A traditional bag of cranberries at the store yields about 3 cups of cranberries. They would fit best in a quart-sized bag or container.
- Freeze for up to 12 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post is so timely! I JUST saw some cranberries in the grocery store for the first time this season and suddenly I was craving some homemade cranberry sauce so bad. 🙂 It’s such a delicious side. For sure I gotta grab a few bags and freeze them.
I always get so excited when I see them for the first time each season! Happy freezing.