Can You Freeze Cranberry Sauce? (2024)

FAQs

Can You Freeze Cranberry Sauce? ›

Homemade cranberry sauce keeps wonderfully in the freezer for up to three months. Pour your cooled cranberry sauce into freezer-friendly zip-top plastic bags, and remove as much air as possible from the bag before sealing.

According to OceanSpray, an authority on cranberries, it is not recommended to freeze canned cranberry sauce. If you do, you may find yourself with a watery-goop later thanks to the gelatin. Instead you can refrigerate leftover canned and homemade cranberry sauce in a closed, air-tight, container for up to two weeks.

Homemade cranberry sauce will last in the fridge for 10 to 14 days. Canned cranberry sauce that has been opened will last up to a week in the fridge. We hear you: After a long day of cooking, hosting, and celebrating, something's bound to get overlooked.

Unlike its homemade counterpart, canned cranberry sauce doesn't freeze or defrost very well. The jellied texture changes after freezing, becoming more watery. Even the leading authority on canned cranberry sauce, Ocean Spray, agrees that freezing canned cranberry sauce is not recommended.

To make-ahead: Cranberry relish can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To freeze: Store cranberry relish in a freezer safe container for 2-3 months. To use, remove it from the freezer and thaw it in the refrigerator.

Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

"You can freeze any unused sauce in an airtight container. Use it within six months for the best quality experience," says Birmingham.

Try reducing the sauce down even further so more of the liquid cooks off and the mixture thickens. If that doesn't work, add a thickener like gelatin, pectin or a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch whisked into juice or water). Let the sauce cool before refrigerating to completely set.

Health Benefits

Cranberries are also rich in vitamin C and fiber, as well as the metabolism-boosting mineral manganese. And yes, you reap all these benefits whether the cranberry sauce on your holiday table is homemade or canned, jellied or whole-berry.

Fresh cranberry sauce freezes beautifully, so you can make it a month or two ahead of time to get a jump start on your holiday cooking. Allow the sauce to cool completely and then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Does Ocean Spray jellied cranberry sauce expire? ›

Unopened canned cranberry sauce can last a year in the pantry but make sure to check the "best before" date to make sure it hasn't expired, and once open, it can be stored in a container with a tightly fitting lid for up to two weeks.

The traditional way of serving jellied cranberry sauce is sliced into rounds. With the column set on its side, slice into ¼-inch thick rounds and then arrange the slices on a serving platter. Serve the slices plain, garnished as desired, or read on for easy upgrades.

The Google consensus is that it's SAFE to drink even AFTER 12-24 MONTHS past any printed date on the bottle. THIS APPLIES ONLY TO UNOPENED BOTTLES OF CRANBERRY JUICE. If opened, the juice should be refrigerated and used within 2 weeks.

Place plastic bags of cranberries directly in the freezer for up to twelve months and use without thawing—just run cold water over them to rinse before using. Because some bruised and soft berries and some stems and leaves are often in the bags, you might prefer to sort and wash the berries before freezing them.

While cream cheese may not last long in the fridge, you can freeze it for up to two months. To use frozen cream cheese, thaw it in the fridge overnight or defrost it in the microwave. Previously frozen cream cheese will still have the same flavor as its refrigerated counterpart, but its texture may be grainy.

Store bought cranberry juice that's been consistently refrigerated will last 2 to 3 weeks after opening. You can preserve cranberry juice by freezing it if you need to keep it longer than 2 to 3 weeks.

When you're dealing with canned whole cranberry sauce, you can pour it into a small pot and bring it to a low boil. Once it starts to boil, I lower the heat and let it simmer until I'm satisfied with the temperature and texture.

Cranberries freeze well when properly stored. They retain their color, good flavor and quality for eight to 12 months. Maintaining a temperature of zero degrees Fahrenheit or below is recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.