Cranberry sauce is a must-have for many families celebrating Thanksgiving with a turkey dinner. Depending on the size of your bird or how things go over at the holiday dinner, you may find yourself with leftover cranberry sauce wondering, “can you freeze cranberry sauce?”On the other hand, maybe you’re hosting a holiday dinner and want to prepare and freeze dishes in advance. It’s a smart move that makes holiday prep a lot easier.
Can You Freeze Homemade Cranberry Sauce?
The good news is that yes, you can freeze cranberry sauce, but it’s best if you freeze homemade cranberry sauce.
Homemade cranberry sauce takes about 30 minutes to make and it freezes better because it uses fresh cranberries. (The fresher the fruit you use, the better the taste!) If you plan on freezing fresh cranberry sauce, it’s ideal to freeze it within a day of making it. This way the fresh cranberry sauce will retain its taste even after freezing. Another benefit to homemade cranberry sauce is you can add interesting flavors to it to mix things up. You can always make a classic cranberry sauce recipe as the base and then divide it up into different saucepans for more adventurous flavors. That way you have more than one kind of cranberry sauce to serve.
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Can You Freeze Canned Cranberry Sauce?
If canned cranberry sauce is the route for you, it’s best to avoid freezing it. According to OceanSpray, an authority on cranberries, it is not recommended to freeze canned cranberry sauce. If you do, you may find yourself with a watery-goop later thanks to the gelatin. Instead you can refrigerate leftover canned and homemade cranberry sauce in a closed, air-tight, container for up to two weeks. If you have more leftover homemade cranberry sauce than you can use up in two weeks, here are our best tips for freezing cranberry sauce.
Freezing homemade cranberry sauce is easy. Simply pour out your cranberry sauce leftovers in an air-tight container or a freezer bag.Just make sure the homemade cranberry sauce is cooled or at room temperature before freezing.
Be thorough in removing all air from the bag because otherwise it can lead to freezer burn and your cranberry sauce won’t taste as good when thawed. You can also use a vacuum sealer for this if you have it.
If you are freezing a lot of homemade cranberry sauce, divide it up into a few freezer bags. Then you can thaw out your cranberry sauce and use it gradually over the next few months. It can also make it easier to thaw out quickly. You could also use silicone molds for this and break off a cube of cranberry sauce at a time when ready to use. Another idea is to freeze your homemade cranberry sauce in mini mason jars. The portion sizes are great for using gradually at home or you can gift the mason jars as cute favors or presents for guests during the holidays.
Always remember to label and date your cranberry sauce for freezing so you know when it’s good to use-by.Homemade cranberry sauce will freeze beautifully for about 3-4 months. Due to its water content, we don’t recommend freezing it for more than a couple of months.
How to Thaw Homemade Cranberry Sauce
When ready to take it out, let the cranberry sauce refrigerate overnight to thaw it out. Stir well before serving. You can also reheat it over the stove or in the microwave.
Alternatively, if you’re in a rush or you forgot to thaw out your frozen cranberry sauce overnight, microwave it first; then dump it out into a sauce pan to thaw and reheat it all-in-one, over the stove. You could also thaw it out in a bowl of hot water and let the freezer bag float in it till it’s thawed enough to dump out into a saucepan for reheating.
How to Use Leftover Cranberry Sauce
Once you’ve frozen your homemade cranberry sauce, there are multiple ways you can use it over the holiday season. Use it to dress up appetizers, for example. Frozen cranberry sauce is also handy for holiday baking; use it as a filling for thumbprint cookies or morning buns for the family. You can also spread it out, in lieu of jam, on morning toast, pancakes or waffles. Lastly, don’t limit yourself to pairing it just with turkey. Dress up beef, chicken or even tofu with a cranberry sauce glaze—it even works well as a weeknight meal.
Homemade cranberry sauce keeps wonderfully in the freezer for up to three months. Pour your cooled cranberry sauce into freezer-friendly zip-top plastic bags, and remove as much air as possible from the bag before sealing. Make sure you label it with the food's name and the date you're putting it into the freezer.
Yes, you can freeze homemade cranberry sauce—and it works well. It's best to store it in the freezer for up to 3 months; the taste may be affected due to its water content if frozen longer. Keep this in mind when putting away your leftover sauce and use it during this optimal period as part of an easy weeknight dinner.
When to Toss Cranberry Sauce. Cranberry sauce will last for two hours at room temperature. Homemade cranberry sauce will last in the fridge for 10 to 14 days. Canned cranberry sauce that has been opened will last up to a week in the fridge.
You will need storage containers to freeze cranberry sauce in. An airtight container such as a freezer-safe bag, freezer-safe mason jars, other freezer-safe container. Besides that, you'll need something to label the container with and the utensils you plan to use to transfer the cranberry sauce into the containers.
Cranberries freeze well when properly stored. They retain their color, good flavor and quality for eight to 12 months. Maintaining a temperature of zero degrees Fahrenheit or below is recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Cranberry sauce is best served at room temperature or slightly chilled. (You've got enough things on the menu to warm up! Don't make the list longer!) I tend to make cranberry sauce a few days before Thanksgiving and then set it on the table about an hour or two before we plan to eat.
It's perfectly fine to serve up cranberry sauce — whole berry or jelled — straight out of the can. But in my experience, heating the canned sauce up takes its flavor to the next level. Plus, it becomes a little more aesthetically pleasing.
Transfer sauce to a serving bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: Cranberry sauce will keep for 10 days in a covered container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to two months.
Take, for instance, the popular Ocean Spray whole berry cranberry sauce. A single, quarter-cup serving is loaded with 22 grams of sugar, while the jellied version boasts 24 grams of sugar. To put it another way, that\'s the equivalent of about 6 teaspoons of sugar in a single serving.
Try reducing the sauce down even further so more of the liquid cooks off and the mixture thickens. If that doesn't work, add a thickener like gelatin, pectin or a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch whisked into juice or water). Let the sauce cool before refrigerating to completely set.
If you are freezing liquids like sauces or soups remember that liquids expand when they are frozen so leave a gap of at least 3 centimetres from the top of the jar when freezing.
Lids: You can free with metal or plastic lids, but always sit lids loosely on the glass container or jar - do not screw tight or fully seal! First, allow the food to freeze and expand and then adjust the lid a little more tightly. 5.
Always remember to label and date your cranberry sauce for freezing so you know when it's good to use-by. Homemade cranberry sauce will freeze beautifully for about 3-4 months. Due to its water content, we don't recommend freezing it for more than a couple of months.
If you absolutely need to thaw the frozen cranberries, place them in a strainer and run cool water over them until thawed. Do cranberries get mushy after freezing? If you thaw the frozen cranberries, they will be pretty mushy.
For instance, frozen fruit's "best-by" dates are merely a suggestion. According to EatByDate, frozen fruit is edible for 8 to 10 months past the best-by date on the package. Frostbite is the best indicator that your berries or mango have gone bad.
According to OceanSpray, an authority on cranberries, it is not recommended to freeze canned cranberry sauce. If you do, you may find yourself with a watery-goop later thanks to the gelatin. Instead you can refrigerate leftover canned and homemade cranberry sauce in a closed, air-tight, container for up to two weeks.
To make-ahead: Cranberry relish can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To freeze: Store cranberry relish in a freezer safe container for 2-3 months. To use, remove it from the freezer and thaw it in the refrigerator.
Some simple ways to use frozen cranberries include: Blend into smoothies. Make your own cranberry sauce (and then see our post regarding cranberry sauce uses) Make sweet or savory salsa.
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