You should make some pickled cranberries while you can get fresh cranberries in the store.

I’m sorry, Trace, pickled what?

You heard me—pickled cranberries.

It seems like seasonal produce no longer exists. Nearly every fruit and vegetable is available year-round because it can be grown somewhere else in the world and shipped here. Yet cranberries remain one of the last foods left that are truly seasonal.

So, when fresh cranberries hit the store, you should make hay while the sun shines. Or in this case, make pickled cranberries while fresh cranberries are available.

If you’ve not heard of pickled cranberries, don’t worry, you’re not alone here. I had never heard of them either until recently. But as soon as I saw the recipe, I came home and made a jar for myself.

The flavor and texture are cranberry relish adjacent, but with more of a tart bite at the end.

To get a proper idea of these, turn off the part of your brain that associates pickles with dill and garlic. Instead, think of warming, holiday spices. Pickled cranberries remind me of those spiced red apple rings that you used to get as a garnish in some restaurants. (Whatever happened to those things?)

Upon sampling these extraordinary pickles, I immediately wanted to make myself a turkey sandwich and add a healthy shmear of some of these soft sweet-tart pickles to it.

The more I nibble on them, the more convinced I am that pickled cranberries could shake up your usual Thanksgiving fare, if you swapped these in for the traditional cylindrical tube of cranberry relish. Not only do pickled cranberries taste better, but they’re gorgeous – ruby red berries in a tart brine of glossy red.

They’re almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

The brine itself is a bonus condiment. I say brine, but it’s more like a heavy syrup than a traditional pickle brine. With its sweet, tangy and lightly spiced (think warming spices, not heat) flavor, it’s begging to be mixed with any number of drinks to add a little pucker and complexity. It reminds me of a holiday fruit shrub.

Add a splash to lemonade, hot apple cider or gin to create a memorable sipper.

And as for the pickles themselves, a sandwich topper is only the beginning. My next thought, once I got past the turkey sandwich craving, was that pickled cranberries and baked brie would be a match made in heaven. Really, these would be a great addition to any cheese or charcuterie board.

How about a broiled pork tenderloin or baked ham with a pickled cranberry glaze? It would be equally delicious on roasted chicken. Oh! These would make an amazing salad dressing. Or even mixing them into a white bean or lentil salad would be good.

Quick Pickle or Canned?

Pickled cranberries can be made as a quick, refrigerator-style pickle or water bath canned for a longer shelf life. And trust me, while this is a great holiday recipe, you’re going to want a few jars of pickled cranberries around come summertime.

Cranberries are naturally acidic, coming in at roughly pH 2.6, and when you combine them with apple cider vinegar, this recipe becomes a great option for water bath canning.  

My advice is to make a pint first and take these for a test drive. Once you see how delicious they are, not to mention how easy they are to make, you’ll want to make a lot more. That’s when you can break out the water bath canner. These jewel-colored jars of fancy pickled cranberries also make a wonderful Christmas or hostess gift.

We’ll start with the fridge pickle recipe, which makes one pint of pickled cranberries. From there, you can easily triple the recipe and preserve the resulting pickles in half-pint jam jars.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ¼ tsp. whole allspice
• 6 whole cloves
• 10 black peppercorns
• ½ tsp chopped fresh ginger
• 1 large fresh orange peel strip
• 8 oz of fresh cranberries, rinsed
• Pinch of kosher salt

In a small saucepan, add the sugar, cider and cinnamon stick to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Using cheesecloth or a tea ball, add the allspice, cloves, peppercorns, ginger and orange peel to make a sachet and add it to the saucepan along with the cranberries and salt.

Cook, stirring occasionally, just until the cranberries pop open. Immediately remove from heat and discard the spice sachet and the cinnamon stick.

Pour cranberries into a sanitized pint jar, leaving a half inch of headspace. Seal the jar and allow the pickles to cool completely.

The pickled cranberries will last for one to two months in the fridge. Don’t forget to label and date them.

Canning Recipe and Instructions

This is a pretty easy canning recipe, and it will yield around 6 half- pints. Naturally, you can double it to make more. These make wonderful gifts for the holidays when someone drops by unexpectedly. (Do people still do that?)

Ingredients

• 3 cups of sugar
• 3 cups apple cider vinegar
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp whole allspice
• ½ tsp whole cloves
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 1 ½ tsp chopped fresh ginger
• 3 large fresh orange peel strips
• 1 ½ lbs of fresh cranberries, rinsed
• ½ tsp of salt

Prepare pickled cranberries as mentioned in the fridge pickle version.

Heat water in your water bath canner and prepare six sanitized half-pint jars, keeping them warm, and six lids with bands.

Ladle the hot pickled cranberries into the jars, leaving a ½” of headspace. Wipe the rims with a damp paper towel and put the lids and bands on so they are fingertip tight.

Place the jars into the canner, ensuring at least one inch of water is covering the jars. Bring the water to a boil and process for ten minutes. (Start your timer once the water begins to boil.)

Remove the jars after they have finished processing and allow them to cool completely. Check to be sure the lids have sealed. Wipe off any residue from hard water, label and date each jar. Canned pickled cranberries will last for a year.

Tangy Pickled Cranberries

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

A sweet pickle with a tangy kick that utterly transforms the humble cranberry. Can be made as a quick pickle or water-bath canned.

No Ratings

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ¼ tsp. whole allspice
• 6 whole cloves
• 10 black peppercorns
• ½ tsp chopped fresh ginger
• 1 large fresh orange peel strip
• 8 oz of fresh cranberries, rinsed
• Pinch of kosher salt
• (SEE NOTES FOR CANNING AMOUNTS)

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, add the sugar, cider and cinnamon stick
   and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
   Using cheesecloth or a tea ball, add the allspice, cloves, peppercorns, ginger
   and orange peel to make a sachet and add it to the saucepan along with the
   cranberries and salt.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until the cranberries pop. Immediately remove from heat and discard the spice sachet and the cinnamon stick.
3. Pour cranberries into a sanitized pint jar, leaving a half
   inch of headspace. Seal the jar and allow the pickles to cool completely.
4. The pickled cranberries will last for one to two months in
   the fridge. Don’t forget to label and date them.

Canning Instructions

1. Prepare pickled cranberries as mentioned in the fridge
   pickle version.
2. Heat water in water bath canner and prepare six
   sanitized half-pint jars, keeping them warm, and six lids with bands.
3. Ladle the hot pickled cranberries into the jars, leaving a ½” of headspace. Wipe the rims with a damp paper towel and put the lids and bands on so they are fingertip tight.
4. Place the jars into the canner, ensuring at least one inch of water is covering the jars. Bring the water to a boil and process for ten minutes. (Start your timer once the water begins to boil.)
5. Remove the jars after they have finished processing and allow them to cool completely. Check to be sure the lids have sealed. Wipe off any residue from hard water, label and date each jar. Canned pickled cranberries will last for a year.
   

Notes

INGREDIENTS IF CANNING

• 3 cups of sugar
• 3 cups apple cider vinegar
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp whole allspice
• ½ tsp whole cloves
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 1 ½ tsp chopped fresh ginger
• 3 large fresh orange peel strips
• 1 ½ lbs of fresh cranberries, rinsed
• ½ tsp salt

Get Garden Notes From Tracey, Right to Your Inbox

Pull up a chair on the front porch. Join 54,000+ gardeners who get Tracey\'s friendly notes, seasonal to-dos, and hands-on tutorials three times a week.

Email:

We respect your email privacy