Can You Freeze Cranberries?

What happens when you freeze cranberries

Cranberries are firm, low in sugar, and high in acid, which is about as close to freezer-proof as fruit gets. They come out of a year in the freezer still bouncing loose in the bag, and since nearly everything you do with a cranberry involves heat, the softening never registers. Sauce, relish, muffins, scones, chutney, glaze — every one of them starts with hard berries and ends the same whether the fruit was fresh or frozen.

How to freeze it right

1. Freeze the unopened store bag exactly as it is — it is already the right pack.
2. For a loose bag, sort out the soft and shriveled berries first, and skip the rinse until you cook.
3. Press the air out of the bag and seal it flat.
4. Date it — fresh cranberries hold 2 months in the fridge, so buy in season and freeze the rest.

Thawing and using it

Cook them frozen. Sauce and relish, muffins and scones, chutney and glaze all take the berries directly, with maybe a little longer on the stove. If you are chopping them for relish, half-frozen berries chop cleaner than thawed ones do.

Can you refreeze it?

Fridge-thawed cranberries can be refrozen safely and barely notice it, though they bleed a little more each round. Since you can cook them from frozen, thawing them at all is usually a wasted step.