Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: Bernardin
Safety reviewed: 09/18/2026
Processing details
Altitude adjustment: Use the exact altitude-adjusted schedule in the tested recipe card.
Source & provenance
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Safety classification
Tested recipe. Documented by Bernardin.
Processing details
- Method: Boiling-water
canning ; hot pack - Jar size: 250 ml or 500 ml jars
- Headspace: 1/2 inch (1 cm)
- Processing: 10 minutes for 250 ml jars or 15 minutes for 500 ml jars at altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m); follow Bernardin’s altitude guidance above that elevation.
Tested/documented source
Bernardin: Jellied Cranberry Sauce — Bernardin. The primary source and WPRM card remain authoritative.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare the canner, jars, lids, and measured ingredients.
- Complete every preparation and cooking stage in the WPRM card.
- Hot-pack, process for jar size and elevation, wait 5 minutes, then cool upright for 24 hours.
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner with rack
- 250 ml or 500 ml jars with compatible lids and bands
- Large nonreactive preserving pot
- Jar lifter, funnel, and nonmetallic bubble/headspace tool
Visual method guide
- Prepare ingredients as documented.
- Cook to the source’s stated stage.
- Hot-pack and maintain 1/2 inch (1 cm).
- Process with jars covered by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of boiling water.
Safety essentials
Use the tested cranberry, water, and sugar proportions; if used, keep optional cinnamon and cloves within the published formula. Preserve the size-specific processing times.
Do not enlarge jar size or shorten processing time. Refrigerate any unsealed jar.
About this recipe
A strained, jellied cranberry sauce with optional whole-spice flavoring.
Before you begin
Read the complete recipe card and source, measure every ingredient, confirm your elevation, and prepare one tested batch at a time.
Altitude-adjusted processing
10 minutes for 250 ml jars or 15 minutes for 500 ml jars at altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m); use Bernardin’s documented adjustment above that elevation.
Maintain a full rolling boil throughout processing.
Jellied Cranberry Sauce — Bernardin
Ingredients
- 4-1/4 cups (1000 ml) fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1-3/4 cups (425 ml) water
- 2 cups (500 ml) granulated sugar
- Cinnamon stick and 1 tsp (5 ml) whole cloves, optional
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water bath canner with rack
- 1 Large stainless or enamel preserving pot
- 1 Canning jars with two-piece lids
- 1 Headspace and bubble tool
Directions
- Place 2 clean 500 ml or 4 clean 250 ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use. Preheating Bernardin® lids is not advised.
- The sealing compound used for our home canning lids performs better at room temperature than it does pre-heated in simmering water (180°F). Simply wash lids in hot, soapy water, dry, and set aside until needed.
- Preheating can lead to less vacuum being achieved during water bath canning, and to buckle failures during pressure canning. Wash cranberries; drain. Combine with water in large stainless steel saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil; cook until skins burst. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Purée or press mixture through a sieve and return strained portion to saucepan. Add sugar. For spicy sauce, tie cinnamon and cloves in cheesecloth square, making a spice bag, and add to cranberries. Gradually bring mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.
- Increase heat, boil vigorously until mixture reaches gel point (before cooking the sauce, refrigerate 2 or 3 saucers; when the cooked mixture thickens, place a spoonful of it on a cold plate and place in freezer for 1-2 minutes. Then run a spoon handle through it.
- A gel has been achieved when the product does not run together when separated by the spoon handle). Ladle hot cranberry sauce into a hot jar to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of top of jar (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more sauce.
- Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining sauce.
- When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars -250 ml jars: 10 minutes; 500 ml jars: 15 minutes.
- When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands. After cooling check jar seals.
- Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.
- Processing: At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars -250 ml jars: 10 minutes - 10 minutes.
- Altitude-adjusted processing table: At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars -250 ml jars: 10 minutes
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
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Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Serve or use this preserve according to its fruit, condiment, or dessert profile.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a larger jar?
No. Use only the documented jar sizes and their matching times.
Can I change the formula?
Do not alter the tested formulation for shelf-stable storage.
Recipe context
A strained, jellied cranberry sauce with optional whole-spice flavoring. It is not interchangeable with an unprocessed refrigerator preparation.
Troubleshooting
Seal failure: Refrigerate the jar; do not store it at room temperature.
Spoilage signs: Discard the product without tasting.
Source and provenance
Primary source: Bernardin. Editorial organization changes only; tested directions remain in the WPRM card.