Cranberry Sauce FAQ's | Ocean Spray® (2024)

FAQs

How do you fix too much liquid in cranberry sauce? ›

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.

As long as an unopened can of cranberry sauce is stored in a consistently cool pantry, it'll keep and taste good for at least a year beyond the date stamped on the can. (That date is the manufacturer's estimate of how long the cranberry sauce will remain at peak quality and is not a safety-related expiration date.)

According to Ocean Spray, that's intentional: It creates a seamless serving experience. The cans are “filled and labeled upside down with the rounded edge on top and the sharp can-like edge on the bottom to keep the jelly whole,” an Ocean Spray spokesperson told CNN Business.

Generally, Ocean Spray Cranberry juice will last between 7 to 10 days in the fridge once opened. It is important not to leave cranberry juice at room temperature for more than a few hours as bacteria can grow rapidly and lead to spoilage.

For the perfect drink, dilute one part concentrate with four parts water. Add extra water for toddlers.

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.

Mistake #2: Your Cranberry Sauce Is Too Runny

But what if you've been cooking it forever and it's still not right? You may have added too much liquid to the cranberries. In addition to pectin, cranberries contain water, which means you only need to add a splash of liquid to get the cooking going.

Sight is usually the best way to tell if your cranberry sauce has gone bad. For canned sauce, if the top of the can is rounded and dome shaped instead of flat across, the sauce has most likely gone bad. If you open the can and anything is brown or black, then do not eat the sauce.

Adding a teaspoon or two of fresh lemon or orange zest, a tablespoon of chopped candied peel, or even a splash of juice to your canned sauce will brighten flavors and bring in some homemade flavor.

Unlike its homemade counterpart, canned cranberry sauce doesn't freeze or defrost very well. The jellied texture changes after freezing, becoming more watery. Even the leading authority on canned cranberry sauce, Ocean Spray, agrees that freezing canned cranberry sauce is not recommended.

Is Ocean Spray real cranberry juice? ›

It's 100% juice made with the crisp, clean taste of real cranberries straight from the bog. Plus, it has no added sugar, a daily dose of vitamin C, and one cup of fruit, so it tastes good and it's good for you, too.

Cranberry juice is usually labeled "100% juice." Other fruits are sometimes added to balance the tart cranberry taste, but that label indicates that the product is made with 100% fruit juices. Cranberry juice co*cktail, meanwhile, has added sugars or high-fructose corn syrup for extra sweetness.

Ocean Spray has queried its ingredient suppliers and determined that its beverages and sauces are free from gluten (some of its other products—notably, chocolate-covered Craisins—do contain gluten).

Cranberry juice is rich in vitamin C, which helps keep your immune system healthy and functioning properly. It fights against oxidative stress from free radicals and helps kill harmful bacteria. Some studies also link low vitamin C intake to poor immune function. Infection prevention.

As a result, unsweetened cranberry juice is generally considered unpalatable by consumers. To make the juice more palatable to consumers, the tart flavor can be made less acidic by blending with other fruit juices or the addition of sugar or sugar substitutes.

Although cranberry juice is safe to consume in moderation, drinking too much can cause side effects such as upset stomach, diarrhea, and blood sugar spikes. In the past, it was believed that cranberry juice can slow the growth of bacteria and therefore is useful in treating urinary tract infections.

37% enjoy apple juice. 28% like cranberry. 27% prefer grape. 15% like grapefruit.

Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Should cranberry sauce be served warm or cold? You could, of course, serve it straight out of the pot, but I think it's best after it's chilled in the fridge. Chilling it helps it firm up some more in the fridge, plus, serving it this way means you can make it days ahead of a holiday.

Cranberry sauce can be used with a variety of meats, including turkey, pork, chicken, and ham. Cranberry sauce is often eaten in conjunction with turkey for Christmas in the United Kingdom and Canada or Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada, and it is only rarely eaten or served in other contexts there.

How do you remove excess water from sauce? ›

Boil it a bit

Another way to reduce the runniness of your sauce is to physically remove the water by boiling it away.

Cranberries contain natural pectin and will gel without any additions. Cook until the berries pop to release the juices and then simmer another 5 minutes or so. It will not seem thick then but will thicken as it cools. If you really want it thicker, you can add additional pectin with a product such as Sure-Jell.

If your cranberry sauce comes out tasting too bitter, your first impulse might be to reach for the sugar bowl. Don't. Granulated sugar will make the situation worse, especially if you don't have time to reheat the sauce so the sugar can dissolve properly.