Cranberry Applesauce

No ratings yet

Cranberry applesauce is a delicious alternative to plain applesauce. It combines the sweetness of the apples with the tart cranberries allowing for a little less sugar and a winning flavor combination! This recipe for cranberry applesauce is safe to preserve with a water bath canner.

Prep Time45

Cook Time30

Water Bath Processing Time20

Total Time1 10

Course: Appetizer, Autumn, Sauce, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: applesauce, canning, cranberry, preserving, sauce

Servings: quarts

Calories: 824kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups water
10 lbs apples washed and quartered
5 lbs cranberries
2 Cups Sugar (Optional) You can taste it plain and if it's too tart slowly add sugar until it's to your liking.
1/4 cup canned lemon juice

Instructions

Place water, apples, and cranberries in a very large saucepan.
Cover and simmer on medium low heat, stirring often to prevent scorching
Meanwhile, prepare a water bath canner and jars.
After the cranberries and apples have fully softened, run through a food mill, sauce maker, or sieve to remove both skins and seeds.
Return to the saucepan and keep warm on low heat. Add in lemon juice and sugar and stir until dissolved.
Ladle hot cranberry applesauce into half pint jars leaving a 1/2 inch of head space. Wipe rim. Center lid on the jar. Screw on the band with until it is finger tip-tight.
Place jars in canner and ensure the jars have at least one inch of water above the tops of the jars.
Bring to a boil and process for 20 minutes. Remove lid, turn off heat, wait 5-10 minutes then remove jars. Let cool and store.

Notes

This can be water bath canned in pints too. Process pints for 15 minutes (adjust for altitude as needed).
Sugar is NOT necessary in this recipe for water bath canning safety. You can adjust the sugar to taste. We usually land on about 2 to 2 1/2 cups. How much you need will vary based on the sweetness of the apples you're using and personal preference.

Nutrition