A step-by-step guide to make and water bath can Cranberry Sauce. This cranberry sauce contains whole cranberries. A little bit of orange zest elevates this delicious cranberry sauce. This recipe comes from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving on page 180.
Clean jars and lids with warm soapy water. Ensure the jars do not have any chips or bubbles in the glass.
Put your water bath canner on your stove. Add your canning rack to your water bath canner. Add your pint jars to the water bath canner. They will warm as you heat the water. Add enough water to cover jars with at least 2-3 inches of water. Bring to a low boil and allow the jars to heat up.
In a large stainless steel pot or enameled Dutch oven, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil hard for 5 minutes.
4 cups Granulated Sugar, 4 cups water
Add cranberries and return the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until all the berries burst.
8 cups Cranberries
Continue boiling until the liquid begins to sheet from a metal spoon about 15 minutes. (Dip a cold metal spoon into the boiling cranberry mixture. Lift the spoon and, hold it horizontally and, with the edge down so that the cranberry mixture runs off the edge. As the cranberry mixture cooks, the drops will become heavier and will drop off the spoon separately but two at a time. When the two drops join together and "sheet" off the spoon, the gel stage has been reached).
Stir in orange zest, if using, during the last few minutes of cooking.
Grated Zest of 1 Large Orange
Remove your jars from the water bath canner 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.
Use a funnel and ladle to add hot cranberry sauce into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a de-bubbler and adjust headspace as needed by adding more cranberry sauce.
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.
Place the jar in the canner using your jar lifter. Repeat steps 7-9 until all cranberry sauce is used. Make sure the jars are completely covered by 2-3 inches of water.
If your water is not boiling start your processing time when the water is boiling. Process pint jars for 15 minutes (Make sure to adjust for your 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.
Lift your canning rack out of the water. 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.