Tested recipe and safety notes
Safety classification: Tested NCHFP recipe. Keep the published proportions, ingredient preparation, vinegar acidity, jar sizes, headspace, and processing schedule exactly as written. Do not reduce the acid or alter vegetable-to-acid proportions.
Processing details
- Method
- Boiling Water
- Pack style
- Hot Pack
- Jar sizes
- Half-Pint or Pint Jars
- Headspace
- 1/4 inch
- Altitude-adjusted processing time
- 10 minutes at 0–1,000 ft; 15 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft; 20 minutes above 6,000 ft
Tested source
This recipe is from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. The recipe card retains the source-exact formula and method.
Preparation timeline
Read the complete recipe card first. Prepare and measure every ingredient as directed, then ready the canner, jars, lids, and tools before beginning the final cook and fill.
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner with rack
- Specified
canning jars and two-piece lids - Nonreactive preserving pot
- Jar lifter, funnel, headspace tool, and accurate measuring tools
Visual method guide
- Prepare ingredients to the exact sizes stated in the recipe card.
- Cook the mixture for the specified time.
- Fill hot jars, maintaining 1/4 inch headspace.
- Remove air bubbles, wipe rims, and apply lids.
- Process for the full time listed for your elevation, then cool undisturbed and verify seals.
Safety essentials
Source instructions checked on September 15, 2026; this records an editorial source review, not a new laboratory test.
canning.recipes reproduces the cited tested guidance and did not independently laboratory-test this formula.
About this recipe
Spicy Cranberry Salsa — NCHFP is a tested, acidified boiling-water
Before you begin
- Use only the listed jar sizes.
- Use vinegar at the acidity specified in the recipe.
- Do not double the batch.
- Begin timing only when the canner returns to a full boil.
Altitude-adjusted processing schedule
10 minutes at 0–1,000 ft; 15 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft; 20 minutes above 6,000 ft. Use the tier for the canner elevation and never shorten the listed process.
Spicy Cranberry Salsa — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 6 cups red onion chopped
- 4 large Serrano peppers finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar 5% acidity
- 1 tablespoon canning salt
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 6 tablespoons clover honey
- 12 cups fresh whole cranberries rinsed; about 2 3/4 pounds
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water canner with rack
- 6 Pint canning jars Use lids and bands compatible with the jars.
- 1 Large saucepot Choose a pot with room for the full recipe and safe stirring.
- 1 Nonmetallic bubble remover
Directions
- Preheat the canner water to 180°F for hot-packed jars. Wash and rinse the jars, then keep them hot. Prepare lids and bands as their manufacturer directs. Wear gloves when handling hot peppers; keep your hands away from your eyes and face.
- Bring everything except the cranberries to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a gentle boil and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cranberries. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Keep the salsa hot over low heat while filling hot half-pint or pint jars. Leave 1/4 inch headspace, release trapped air, restore headspace, wipe rims and fit lids.
- Use a rack and keep jars upright. Water must cover the lids by at least 1 inch, or 2 inches when processing longer than 30 minutes. Cover the canner; begin timing at a full boil and keep it boiling throughout. If boiling stops, bring it back to a boil and restart the full processing time.
- Process hot-packed jars in boiling water: 10 minutes at 0–1,000 feet; 15 minutes at 1,001–6,000 feet; or 20 minutes above 6,000 feet. Follow the canner directions above.
- After processing, turn off the heat, remove the canner lid and wait 5 minutes. Lift jars out upright onto a towel or cooling rack. Leave undisturbed for 12–24 hours, then check seals. Refrigerate unsealed jars and use them first. Remove bands from sealed jars, clean and label them, and store in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
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Tried this recipe?
Share your results how it turned out.Serving and storage
Cool jars undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, test seals, remove screw bands, label, and store sealed jars in a cool, dark, dry place. Refrigerate after opening.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the ingredient proportions?
No. The tested acid-to-low-acid balance must remain unchanged.
Can I use larger jars?
No. Use only the jar sizes supported by NCHFP.
Which processing time applies?
Use the time shown above for the elevation of your canner.
Recipe context
This is a source-specific NCHFP record. Do not combine its ingredient formula or processing schedule with another salsa or relish recipe.
Troubleshooting
- Jar did not seal
- Refrigerate promptly or reprocess within 24 hours using a new lid and the full verified process.
- Processing was interrupted
- Restart the full time after the canner returns to a boil.
- Mixture seems too thick or thin
- Do not change the formula or
canning time to alter texture.
Source & provenance
- Source
- National Center for Home Food Preservation
- Publication
- Spicy Cranberry Salsa
- Page / location
- Online recipe page
- Country
- United States
- Region
- National U.S. guidance
- Original language
- English
- Translation
- Original language
- Image provenance
- ai_generated
Garden planning for this recipe
Plant, space, variety, zone, and timing estimates live on dedicated ingredient pages:
Typical canning season
Season: Winter, Fall
Months: October, November, December
How much of the main ingredient should I grow?
10–22 lb of Berries per person per year
The source-cited calculator below can convert your pantry goal into medium-onion plant estimates where compatible yield data exists.
Garden yields vary by cultivar, climate, soil, pests, and care. Always measure the exact prepared ingredient amount required by the tested canning recipe.