How to Freeze Cranberries

Absolutely! Fresh cranberries freeze extremely well. They are great to have year round and add a beautiful aesthetic to many different dishes. I love adding fresh cranberries to my lemon water or punch bowl during holiday parties, or adding fresh cranberries to a charcuterie board to add a pop of color.
However, you love to use cranberries, keep reading to find out how you can freeze them at home at their peak of freshness.
One of my favorite ways to use frozen cranberries is in cranberry sauce for the holiday season.
Homemade freezer cranberry sauce is one of my many secrets to an easy Thanksgiving morning. Prep the freezer cranberry sauce during the week, and you have a dish ready to go come Thursday morning.
Cover a baking sheet (with a lip) with parchment paper. This will keep your cranberries from sticking and make it easy to transfer once frozen.
Be sure to also go through your fresh cranberries and take out any of the super damaged or discolored fruits.
Lay out rinsed cranberries in single layer on paper towel, pat dry and let air dry for about 10 minutes.
Spread cranberries out on the parchment paper covered baking sheet that you prepared in step 1.
Set baking sheet with cranberries into the freezer for 1-2 hours. Do not freeze much longer than 2 hours otherwise cranberries may develop freezer burn.
Cranberries will be mostly frozen with a couple spots that may still have to freeze completely.
Don’t worry if they still have a little way to go. They will finish freezing in step 5.
Once cranberries are in a freezer bag, remove as much air as possible and seal.
TIP: Don’t forget to label the freezer bag and write an expiration date on the bag. (Today’s date plus 6 months).
Frozen cranberries will stay good for up to 12 months in the freezer as long as you have frozen them correctly.
Be sure to remove as much air as possible from the freezer bag when you are sealing in your cranberries to keep them as fresh as possible.
You can use the straw method, twist the bag, or simple squash it until you have gotten out the air.
Really no right or wrong way. lol
*See FAQ’s and specific tips following recipe card below.
*Frozen cranberries will last for 9-12 months in the freezer, if frozen properly. Be sure to use freezer bags when storing or any other airtight container.