How to Freeze Cranberries + Recipes for Frozen Cranberries

Freezing cranberries is a great way to take advantage of winter’s offerings year-round! This post will show you how to freeze cranberries, answer questions about freezing and thawing cranberries, and shares some of my favorite recipes to use frozen cranberries.

Can You Freeze Cranberries?

Can you freeze cranberries? Yes, definitely! I’ll be sharing everything you need to know about how to freeze cranberries in this post.

If you’re looking for information about freezing leftover cranberry sauce, head over to this post about Freezing Cranberry Sauce.

Why You Should Freeze Cranberries 

I look forward to cranberry season every year! Cranberries are one of my favorite things to bake with during the winter months. I love the bright colors and the tart flavor!

Although cranberries last longer that summer berries do, they spoil quicker than heartier fruits like apples. Freezing cranberries is a great way to savor the flavor of winter for many months.

Here are a few reasons to start freezing fresh cranberries: 

• Oops! I purchased too many cranberries and won’t use them all before they spoil. Freezing cranberries will extend allow you to lengthen their shelf life and prevent food waste. 
• Don’t you love it when cranberries go on sale and you can stock up on them? Freezing cranberries is the best way to take advantage of low prices and bulk shopping.
• Fresh fruit is usually more expensive during the off season (and sometimes it isn’t even available). Storing frozen fresh cranberries in your freezer for use during the off season is a great way to save money.

Let’s get going with all things Cranberries so you can learn how to freeze cranberries and stash some of them away for all of your holiday baking!

When is Cranberry Season? 

Cranberries are only harvested once a year mid September through November.

You can typically find them fresh in your grocery store from September through January. Unlike a lot of other produce, you can’t typically find fresh cranberries out of season.

Freezing fresh cranberries is one of my favorite ways to preserve holiday season produce for year-round use!

Want to check out more info about seasonal fruits and veggies?

• Spring Produce Guide
• Summer Produce Guide
• Fall Produce Guide
• Winter Produce Guide

You’ll find information about seasonal produce and tons of recipes to go along with each season!

Tools Needed to Freeze Cranberries

You’ll need a few kitchen tools for this freezer tutorial. Here’s what I recommend having on hand before getting started freezing cranberries:

• Colander – to give the cranberries a quick rinse the cranberries before freezing.
• Clean Towel – to remove excess water from the cranberries after washing them.
• Baking Sheet – to flash freeze the cranberries on.
• Parchment Paper – to line the baking pan with before freezing cranberries.
• Storage – you’ll need an airtight container or freezer-safe zip-top plastic bag to transfer the frozen cranberries. If you have a vacuum sealer, that will also work.
• Permanent Marker – to label the storage container or bag with the contents, date, and amount before transferring the frozen cranberries to the freezer.

For printable instructions of how to freeze cranberries, scroll to the bottom of this post.

How to Freeze Cranberries 

The thing I really love about freezing fresh cranberries is that it is super simple and very little prep work is needed. Unlike certain vegetables, you don’t need to blanch cranberries before freezing them.

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to freeze fresh cranberries: 

1. Throw away any cranberries that are soft or discolored. Lighter colored cranberries are underripe. They aren’t harmful, but they can be even more tart. 
2. Rinse the remaining cranberries in a colander under cold tap water. 
3. Spread a large, clean, dry towel on the counter and place the cranberries on top to dry. You can let them air dry or you can pat them dry with another towel, but they need to be completely dry before freezing, otherwise they can stick together and develop freezer burn more quickly.
4. Spread the cranberries on a parchment paper-lined baking tray in a single layer (tip: How to Line Pans with Parchment Paper). Make sure none of the cranberries are overlapping. 
5. Place the baking sheet with the cranberries on it in the freezer. Keep the baking sheet as level as possible to prevent movement. 
6. Freeze the cranberries just until solid, about 1 hour. 
7. Transfer the frozen cranberries to a freezer safe container, a freezer zip top bag, or use a vacuum sealer and corresponding bag.
8. Don’t forget to label and date the bag so you know when you froze the cranberries.  

The above is simply a quick summary of how to freeze cranberries. Check out the free printable card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

Freezing Cranberries FAQs

Got questions about how to freeze cranberries? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.

Can You Freeze Cranberries Without Washing?

Yes, you can. However, I find it easier to wash and dry the whole cranberries before freezing them rather than having to remember to wash the frozen cranberries before throwing them into a recipe.

Can You Freeze Cranberries in the Bag

I’ve been known to throw a whole bags of cranberries straight into the freezer without doing any prep work – including leaving them in their original plastic packaging.

However, it’s really best to rinse the cranberries thoroughly first and then pat them dry before freezing them.

Then, transfer them to freezer-safe containers or zip-top bag – this will protect against freezer burn and the frozen cranberries will last longer! 

How Long Do Frozen Cranberries Last? 

If stored correctly, frozen cranberries are good for 12 to 18 months stored in the freezer. Fresh cranberries typically last a week, or less, in the refrigerator.

By freezing, you are significantly extending their self life compared to storing fresh cranberries in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator!  

How to Thaw Frozen Cranberries (3 Ways!)

There are a few different ways to thaw frozen cranberries. Choose whichever thawing method is best for you depending on how much time you have. 

Thawing Cranberries in the Fridge  

Measure the desired amount of frozen fresh cranberries into a bowl or sealable container. Place them in the fridge overnight, or for about 6 hours. 

In the morning, the cranberries will be thawed and ready to use. 

Thawing Cranberries on the Counter

Here’s how I recommend thawing frozen cranberries on the counter:

1. Remove the amount of frozen fresh cranberries that you need from the freezer.
2. Place the frozen cranberries in a bowl or other dish.
3. Fill the dish with cold water until the cranberries are covered.
4. Let the bowl of water and cranberries sit on the counter until fully thawed, about 5-10 minutes.
5. If the cranberries are still frozen after 10 minutes, then you can drain the water and replace with fresh cold water. Check again in 10 minutes.

The time required to thaw the cranberries will depend on how many are in the bowl. A larger amount of cranberries will take longer to thaw than a small amount.

After thawing, pat the cranberries dry with a clean kitchen towel. You can then proceed with the recipe as instructed. 

If you don’t need the frozen cranberries to thaw quickly, you can also place them on a baking sheet and let them sit at room temperature until thawed.

Thawing Cranberries in the Microwave 

Place the desired amount of frozen cranberries in a microwave-safe bowl that’s been lined with a paper towel (this helps soak up the excess moisture from the cranberries).

Using the “Defrost” setting of your microwave, microwave the cranberries for 30 seconds. If they’re not fully thawed by that point, continue microwaving them on the defrost setting for 10-second intervals. 

Do You Have to Thaw Frozen Cranberries Before Using Them? 

It depends on what you’re making. If you plan on using the cranberries in a recipe with a short cooking time — like pancakes or waffles — it’s best to thaw them first. 

Otherwise the frozen cranberries might not cook through fully and you’ll wind up with cold cranberries or uncooked patches of dough or batter in the finished product.  

If you’re making a fruit crisp, pie, cake, quick bread, or muffins, sauce, or anything else that has a longer cooking time you likely won’t need to thaw the cranberries beforehand, unless the recipe specifically states. 

However, you may want to toss the cranberries in a spoonful of flour or cornstarch before adding them to the recipe. Frozen cranberries can release more liquid than fresh cranberries once cooked, and you don’t want your baked goods to turn out soggy

Also, if using frozen cranberries in a baked good, you may need to add a few extra minutes to the total cook time. Frozen berries lower the temperature of batters and doughs, which means they’ll need more time in the oven. 

Frozen Cranberries Common Issues (+ Solutions!) 

For the most part, it’s easy to substitute fresh cranberries with frozen cranberries. However, you may run into one of the following issues when doing so: 

• The recipe came out too watery — Frozen fresh cranberries release quite a bit of liquid once cooked. To combat this, toss the berries in some all-purpose flour before mixing them into the batter. If making a cranberry sauce or a fruit filling of some kind (i.e. in a pie or fruit crisp), you can add cornstarch to the berry mixture instead.  
• The cranberries sank to the bottom of my muffins / quick bread / cake — Don’t add frozen cranberries straight to the batter. Instead, toss them in a tablespoon or two of all-purpose flour first. This will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the batter. 
• The berries bled into the batter — Frozen berries often bleed into quick bread and cake batters. To prevent this, rinse the berries until cold tap water and pat them dry. Then, toss them with flour before mixing them into the batter.

What to Make with Frozen Cranberries

More How to Freeze Tutorials:

Now that you know everything there is to know about freezing cranberries, here are some more helpful freezer. tutorials:

Did you know that you can also freeze kale? Here’s How to Freeze Kale 4 different ways, depending on how you want to use it!

Knowing how to freeze soup and which soups freeze well makes meal prep a breeze! In this post, I share the best ways to freeze soup, plus how to defrost soup and which soups you can and can’t freeze.

Next time you make a batch pancakes or waffles, make some extra and follow this quick and easy tutorial for How to Freeze Pancakes and Waffles. I’ve also given instructions on how to reheat them!

No matter what season it is, you need to know How to Freeze Cookie Dough. Spoiler: it’s super easy to do!

Whether you stocked up on buttermilk in preparation for the holidays or like to keep it on hand for your favorite baked goods, freezing buttermilk is the perfect way to ensure you never run out! In this post, I’ll walk you through how to freeze buttermilk.

Can you freeze butter? Absolutely! In this post, I walk you through how to freeze butter and how to defrost it. Plus, I answer other FAQs about freezing butter. 

Who doesn’t love a good kitchen tip? Looking for more kitchen tutorials? Check out the entire Kitchen Tips and Tricks archive for lots of great ideas!

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