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If you love cranberries and are excited about learning how to preserve homemade sauces, this Cranberry Rum Sauce is the perfect recipe for you! Packed with warm spices like cinnamon, allspice, and cloves, plus the richness of rum, this sauce is a delicious twist on traditional cranberry sauces. And the best part? You can enjoy it all year by canning it with a simple water bath or steam canner. Follow along for step-by-step tips to make your canning experience smooth and successful.

Why Start with a Cranberry Sauce?

Cranberry sauce is ideal for beginners because it’s:

Simple to prepare: With a few ingredients and easy cooking, you’ll have a beautifully spiced sauce ready in no time.
High in natural acid: Cranberries are naturally acidic, which makes them safe for water bath or steam canning. This eliminates the need for pressure canning, which is more complex and often recommended for low-acid foods.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this delicious homemade cranberry rum sauce:

3 Cinnamon Sticks
8 Whole Allspice Berries
6 Whole Cloves
2 cups Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 cups Water
8 cups Cranberries (Fresh or Frozen)
2 Large Apples (Peeled, Cored, and Chopped)
3/4 cup Rum

Water Bath Canning Made Easy

Preserve the flavors of your favorite fruits and vegetables with my FREE comprehensive and beginner-friendly Water Bath canning eBook.

Tools & Equipment

For making and canning, you’ll need:

A large stainless steel pot on a stovetop holds fresh cranberries and chopped apples, ready to be cooked for cranberry rum sauce. The vibrant red cranberries and light yellow apple pieces create a colorful mix against the pot's metal interior. This image captures the beginning of the sauce-making process in a home kitchen.

Step-by-Step Guide to Canning Cranberry Rum Sauce

Step 1: Clean Jars

Wash your jars and lids in warm soapy water. Make sure there are no chips or bubbles in your jars.

Step 2: Prepare Ingredients

Peel and core your apples. Using your knife and cutting board finely chop your apples.

Tie cinnamon stick pieces, allspice, and cloves in a square of cheesecloth, creating a spice bag.

Step 3: Prepare Canner

Prepare your canner

Using Water Bath Canner:

Put your water bath canner on your stove. Add your canning rack to the water bath canner. Add enough water to cover jars with at least 2-3 inches of water. Start to bring your water to a boil.

Using a Steam Canner:

Put your steam canner on your stove. Add the steam canner rack to the bottom of the steam canner. Add the recommended amount of water to the steam canner according to the manufacturer. Put the lid on your steam canner and start your stove.

Step 4: Cook Cranberry Rum Sauce Ingredients

In a large, stainless steel pot, combine sugar, water, and the spice bag. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add cranberries and apples. Return to a boil and boil gently, stirring constantly, until cranberry skins burst, about 5 minutes.

Crush the mixture with a potato masher.

Add the rum and return to a boil.

Remove from heat and discard the spice bag.

Step 5: Filling The Jars

Once you have hot jars and hot sauce.

Water Bath Canner:

Remove the water bath canner lid. Remove your jars from the boiling water one at a time using your jar lifter. Dump the water out of the jar into your water bath canner to ensure there is still 2-3 inches of water above your jars.

Steam Canner:

Remove the steam canner lid. Remove your jars from the steam canner one at a time using your jar lifter.

Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch (.5 cm) headspace (Check with headspace measurer). Remove air bubbles with a de-bubbler and adjust the headspace by adding more hot sauce if necessary.

Wipe the rim to ensure a good seal is made with the lid. Center the lid on the jar and screw the band down to fingertip tight. Repeat until all sauce is used.

Place jars back in the canner with your jar lifter.

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Step 6: Processing Jars

Water Bath Canner:

Lower the water bath canner rack into the boiling water. Ensure your jars are covered by at least 2 inches of water.

If your water is not boiling start your processing time when the water is boiling. Process 1/2 pint jars for 15 minutes. Make sure to adjust your time for altitude.

Set a timer, it makes it much easier to make sure you process for the correct time. When your timer goes off turn off the heat and remove the canner lid.

Leave the jars in the water for 5 minutes.

Steam Canner:

Put the lid on the steam canner. Turn your stove on high until your steam canner water comes to a vigorous boil. Continue heating so the indicator is in the correct “Zone” per your altitude.

Start your processing time when the needle reaches the maximum point you have tested your steam canner to reach in your “Zone”.

Adjust the burner so that it maintains an even rolling boil throughout the entire processing time. Usually, this will be much lower than where it was set for the vigorous boil. If the top lid is lifting and/or spitting water from the edges this is an indication that you have the heat turned up too high. Slowly reduce the heat until this stops. Watch the indicator to ensure the temperature does not decrease.

The processing times for steam canning are the same as for water bath canning. Process 1/2 pint jars for 15 minutes.

Make sure to adjust your time for altitude. Set a timer, it makes it much easier to make sure you process for the correct time.

When your timer goes off turn off the heat and let the canner stand for 5 minutes with the lid on before removing the jars. The lid MUST remain ON the canner during this time. This cool-down period is necessary to ensure the jar contents are properly processed.

Carefully remove the lid by tilting it away from you to avoid steam burns.

Step 7: Cooling and Storing Your Jars

Using your jar lifer carefully move the jars onto a wire rack or kitchen towel to allow them to cool. When moving the jars try not to tilt them to the side as this could affect the seal of the jars. Allow your jars to cool for 12-24 hours before handling.

Once cool, remove the canning rings from the jars. Wash your jars off to ensure no food residue on the outside of the jar from processing. Label your jar with the name of the recipe and date. This will help you remember what recipe you used to can and the date will allow you to use the oldest canned goods first.

Eight jars of cranberry rum sauce cooling on a wire rack on a granite countertop. The jars are sealed with silver lids, and the vibrant red color of the sauce, filled with visible cranberry pieces, contrasts against the speckled countertop. The scene suggests the final stage of homemade canning, with a pot visible in the background on the stovetop.

Enjoying Your Cranberry Rum Sauce

Once opened, refrigerate and use within a few weeks. This sauce is perfect for holiday meals, spreads on toast, or even as a glaze for roasted meats!

Canning Tips for Beginners

Keep everything clean: Clean jars and equipment to ensure safe canning.
Watch the headspace: Proper headspace is essential for creating a vacuum seal.
Timing is key: Follow your recipe’s processing time precisely.
Stay patient: Canning can feel slow, but each step ensures food safety.

Canning this Cranberry Rum Sauce will add flavor and homemade charm to your pantry. Once you taste your preserved sauce, you might just get hooked on canning! Let us know how your canning adventure goes in the comments below.

Other Cranberry Recipes

Cranberry Raspberry Jam

Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry Jelly

Apple Pear Cranberry Pie Filling

Recipe Card

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Cranberry Rum Sauce

This Cranberry Rum Sauce Recipe comes from The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. It is delicious over turkey or pork.

Yields Half Pint Jars

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Water Bath or Steam Canning Processing Time 15

Total Time 1 10

Equipment

Ingredients

3 Cinnamon Sticks
8 Whole Allspice Berries
6 Whole Cloves
2 cups Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 cups water
8 cups Cranberries
2 Apples Large Apples (Peeled, Cored, and Chopped)
3/4 cup Rum

Instructions

Wash your jars and lids in warm soapy water. Make sure there are no chips or bubbles in your jars.
Peel and core your apples. Using your knife and cutting board finely chop your apples.
Tie cinnamon stick pieces, allspice, and cloves in a square of cheesecloth, creating a spice bag.
Prepare your canner
Using Water Bath Canner:
Put your water bath canner on your stove. Add your canning rack to the water bath canner. Add enough water to cover jars with at least 2-3 inches of water. Start to bring your water to a boil.
Using a Steam Canner:
Put your steam canner on your stove. Add the steam canner rack to the bottom of the steam canner. Add the recommended amount of water to the steam canner according to the manufacturer. Put the lid on your steam canner and start your stove.
In a large, stainless steel pot, combine sugar, water, and the spice bag. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add cranberries and apples. Return to a boil and boil gently, stirring constantly, until cranberry skins burst, about 5 minutes.
Crush the mixture with a potato masher.
Add the rum and return to a boil.
Remove from heat and discard the spice bag.
Once you have hot jars and hot sauce.
Water Bath Canner:
Remove the water bath canner lid. Remove your jars from the boiling water one at a time using your jar lifter. Dump the water out of the jar into your water bath canner to ensure there is still 2-3 inches of water above your jars.
Steam Canner:
Remove the steam canner lid. Remove your jars from the steam canner one at a time using your jar lifter.
Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch (.5 cm) headspace (Check with headspace measurer). Remove air bubbles with a de-bubbler and adjust the headspace by adding more hot sauce if necessary.
Wipe the rim to ensure a good seal is made with the lid. Center the lid on the jar and screw the band down to fingertip tight. Repeat until all sauce is used.
Place jars back in the canner with your jar lifter.
Water Bath Canner:
Lower the water bath canner rack into the boiling water. Ensure your jars are covered by at least 2 inches of water.
If your water is not boiling start your processing time when the water is boiling. Process 1/2 pint jars for 15 minutes. Make sure to adjust your time for altitude.
Set a timer, it makes it much easier to make sure you process for the correct time. When your timer goes off turn off the heat and remove the canner lid.
Leave the jars in the water for 5 minutes.
Steam Canner:
Put the lid on the steam canner. Turn your stove on high until your steam canner water comes to a vigorous boil. Continue heating so the indicator is in the correct "Zone" per your altitude.
Start your processing time when the needle reaches the maximum point you have tested your steam canner to reach in your "Zone".
Adjust the burner so that it maintains an even rolling boil throughout the entire processing time. Usually, this will be much lower than where it was set for the vigorous boil. If the top lid is lifting and/or spitting water from the edges this is an indication that you have the heat turned up too high. Slowly reduce the heat until this stops. Watch the indicator to ensure the temperature does not decrease.
The processing times for steam canning are the same as for water bath canning. Process 1/2 pint jars for 15 minutes.
Make sure to adjust your time for altitude. Set a timer, it makes it much easier to make sure you process for the correct time.
When your timer goes off turn off the heat and let the canner stand for 5 minutes with the lid on before removing the jars. The lid MUST remain ON the canner during this time. This cool-down period is necessary to ensure the jar contents are properly processed.
Carefully remove the lid by tilting it away from you to avoid steam burns.
Using your jar lifer carefully move the jars onto a wire rack or kitchen towel to allow them to cool. When moving the jars try not to tilt them to the side as this could affect the seal of the jars. Allow your jars to cool for 12-24 hours before handling.
Once cool, remove the canning rings from the jars. Wash your jars off to ensure no food residue on the outside of the jar from processing. Label your jar with the name of the recipe and date. This will help you remember what recipe you used to can and the date will allow you to use the oldest canned goods first.