Canned Cranberry Sauce Is Loved or Hated—Here's How to Serve It Regardless

Learn how to get your jellied cranberry sauce out of the can in one piece and other holiday-saving tips.

There’s even more controversy within the can-fan community: whole-berry vs. jellied.

With this in mind, here are answers to all your canned cranberry sauce questions.

How It Started

The reason cranberry sauce goes so well withThanksgiving dinnerhas everything to do with tannins.

But where did this tradition begin?

Cranberries' tartness comes from their high concentration of acid.

In general, there are two kinds of canned cranberry sauce at the store: jellied and whole berry.

And jellied cranberry sauce is usually completely smooth.

Whole berried cranberry sauce is more liquid (but still gelatinous) and will have pieces of whole cranberries.

you may be wondering.

“Then how do you explain its gelatinous consistency?”

Cranberries are also rich in vitamin C and fiber, as well as the metabolism-boosting mineral manganese.

Part of getting this magic trick right is designed right into the can, which is labeled upside-down.

Unopened cans of cranberry sauceas well as jams and jellieslast for one yearin your cupboard and still taste great.

That’s one thing to cross off next year’s holiday shopping list!

After a year, the contents are still safe, but their taste and texture may start to deteriorate.

Freezer storage is not an option because, unlike homemade cranberry sauce,freezing canned cranberry saucemakes it watery.

It’s difficult to find sugar-free cranberry sauce in canned form since sugar is such an integral ingredient.

Baker GL, Kneeland RF.Cranberry Pectin Properties.Industrial & Engineering Chemistry.

1936;28(3):372-375.