Canning Homemade Cranberry Juice

Marie Overton
7h
2 min read

Cranberry juice is not only a refreshing drink, but it also has many health benefits. It is both an antioxidant and antibacterial. It helps people to age better, have less heart issues, handle menopause better, and have less urinary tract infections (UTIs). While this is not a replacement for prescription drugs, it is a good addition to the diet.

Preparation Equipment and Supplies:

Fill your boiling water bath canner high enough to cover 7 quart-sized jars. Place the water bath on medium heat to warm up.

How to Make cranberry Juice:

Hands fill a metal funnel with cranberries over jars on a granite countertop. A measuring cup of sugar is nearby. Bright red berries stand out.

Place 1 1/2 cups of cranberries into each quart jar. 3 pounds of cranberries should make about 7 quarts worth.

Cranberries being jarred with sugar using a funnel. Yellow scoop in bowl of berries, glass pitcher filled with sugar on a speckled countertop.

Add 1/4-1/2 cup of sugar to each jar. I usually use 1/3 of a cup but it is all based on personal preference. This not only makes the syrup but helps to draw the juice out of the berries.

Jars of cranberries on a granite countertop, some sprinkled with sugar. A hand pours liquid from a blue-patterned vessel into a jar.

Using a jar funnel, fill your hot jars with hot water to 1/2-inch of headspace.

Processing Cranberry Juice:

After filling your jars, wipe the rim with a clean cloth, place the lid and ring on fingertip tight.

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Place them in the boiling water bath canner. Process for 25 minutes if at sea level. (Adjust the processing time if you are above 1000 feet.)

Chalkboard with water bath times for various altitudes, jars of preserves nearby. Text: "WATER BATH 1,000-10,000 ft +min."

After processing, allow to cool in the water bath with the heat off and the lid removed for 5 minutes.

Jars of red berries in liquid on a wooden board. A hand uses red tongs to grip a jar. Kitchen counter in the background.

Place the jars on a heat-resistant surface about 1-2 inches apart so they can cool a little faster. Allow them to sit undisturbed for 24 hours so that they can get a nice seal. you know they are sealed if the little "button" in the center of the lid is depressed down.

Then remove the lids and wash the jars in warm soapy water. Store in a cool dry dark location. Home canned goods are generally best in the first 1-3 years. After that, the nutritional value begins to decrease.