Perhaps you made your cranberry sauce awhile back, and now you’re curious how long cranberry sauce stays in the fridge. Or maybe you spotted a can of cranberry sauce in the back of your pantry, and you’re wondering how to tell if that cranberry sauce has gone bad. Either way, here is everything you need to know about the storage and care of cranberry sauce.
How Long Does Homemade Cranberry Sauce Last?
How long does homemade cranberry sauce last in the fridge? Start by storing it in a covered glass or plastic container. Properly stored, homemade cranberry sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 10 to 14 days. If you’d like to keep it for longer than that, pour the sauce into covered airtight containers or freezer-safe bags and freeze.
How long will homemade cranberry sauce last in the freezer? It will stay fresh-tasting for about two months. It remains safe beyond that, up to a year at least. Additionally, fresh whole cranberries can be frozen in their original bag for a year.
How can you tell if homemade cranberry sauce is bad or spoiled? The best way is to smell and look at the homemade cranberry sauce: If it has an off smell, flavor, or appearance, or if mold appears, toss it.
How Long Does Canned Cranberry Sauce Last?
First of all, store canned cranberry sauce in the pantry, where the temperature is consistently cool. In general, canned cranberry sauce will keep (and taste good) for at least a year beyond the date stamped on the can. (The date is the manufacturer’s estimate of how long the cranberry sauce will remain at peak quality; it’s not a safety-related deadline.) After a few years, if the can is undented, the cranberry sauce’s texture, color, or flavor may change, but it likely won’t be dangerous. Again, use your senses to test whether the cranberry sauce is still good. Signs of spoilage include cans that are leaking, rusting, bulging, or severely dented. If the top of the can is rounded instead of flat, the cranberry sauce has most likely gone bad. If you open the can and anything is brown or black, throw the cranberry sauce away without a second thought.
Once opened, remove cranberry sauce from the can and place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay good there for about a week. Frozen canned cranberry sauce isn’t the best idea, as it will turn watery. But it will stay good for a couple of months.
What to Do if You Left Out Cranberry Sauce Overnight
We hear you: After a full day cooking and hosting and (hopefully) enjoying Thanksgiving, some things are bound to fall by the wayside. But if you leave cranberry sauce out over night, whether it is homemade or store-bought, please throw it away.
FAQs
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.
How long does cranberry sauce last? ›
Unopened canned cranberry sauce can last a year in the pantry but make sure to check the "best before" date to make sure it hasn't expired, and once open, it can be stored in a container with a tightly fitting lid for up to two weeks.
How long are cranberries good for? ›
Fresh cranberries are usually good stored in the refrigerator for two weeks. If kept longer, you will find a gradual deterioration of quality with more soft or bruised berries. Berries can be stored in the original packaging in the refrigerator crisper for up to four weeks.
How long does Ocean Spray jellied cranberry sauce last? ›
In general, after they are opened, our juices and sauces may be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for at least two weeks. For best quality and taste, use the product before the date stamped on it.
How long will cranberry relish last in the refrigerator? ›
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.
How long do cranberries last at room temperature? ›
Fresh cranberries should be kept chilled. Stored at room temperature they will only last a couple of days.
How long does cranberry juice last in the fridge? ›
Store bought cranberry juice that's been consistently refrigerated will last 2 to 3 weeks after opening. You can preserve cranberry juice by freezing it if you need to keep it longer than 2 to 3 weeks. If refrigerated, cold-pressed cranberry juice will last 4 to 5 days before going bad.
Does homemade cranberry sauce need to be refrigerated? ›
Canned cranberry sauce can be kept in the pantry until after it's opened—but feel free to store it in the fridge if you like a chilled sauce and magically have extra fridge space. Freshly made sauce should be refrigerated. Let cool to room temperature before transferring to a resealable container.
How long do cranberries last in a jar? ›
Cranberries can be stored in the refrigerator up to three (3) months if they are kept in their original plastic packaging or in an airtight, sealed container. Left in the open air, at room temperature, cranberries quickly lose their freshness.
Does Ocean Spray cranberry go bad? ›
The Google consensus is that it's SAFE to drink even AFTER 12-24 MONTHS past any printed date on the bottle. THIS APPLIES ONLY TO UNOPENED BOTTLES OF CRANBERRY JUICE. If opened, the juice should be refrigerated and used within 2 weeks.
Pull the sauce off the stove once you hear or see the first few cranberries burst. You want some of them to burst but others to remain whole for the best texture. The sauce can be made up to 1 week in advance; keep refrigerated, and do not add the nuts until Thanksgiving Day, a few hours before serving.
Can I freeze Ocean Spray cranberry sauce? ›
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.
Will cranberry sauce go bad? ›
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. We hear you: After a long day of cooking, hosting, and celebrating, something's bound to get overlooked.
How do you store leftover cranberry sauce? ›
While refrigeration is a suitable method, leftover cranberry sauce will only last for a few weeks this way. So if you want to keep cranberry sauce longer than that, turn to the freezer to extend the life of your cranberry sauce.
Is cranberry sauce good for you? ›
Health Benefits
Cranberries are also rich in vitamin C and fiber, as well as the metabolism-boosting mineral manganese. And yes, you reap all these benefits whether the cranberry sauce on your holiday table is homemade or canned, jellied or whole-berry.
Does cranberry sauce need to be reheated? ›
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.
