Canning Cranberry Citrus Lemonade Concentrate
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This cranberry lemonade concentrate is along the same lines as the homemade cranberry “juice” I like to refer to as infused water that’s all over the internet, but made into a tart, delicious lemonade using whole cranberries and sliced citrus. The canning process renders this recipe shelf stable so you can have homemade lemonade whenever you crave it. Use it to mix as a lemonade or even as a mixed drink starter. These jars are pretty on the pantry shelf, too, and make unique gift opportunities. This canning recipe is one you’ll want to save as it’s an easy recipe utilizing high acid foods that can be water bath canned with an adjustable amount of sugar.
Do I Need a Special Water Bath Canner?
The short answer is no. Any pot that can hold jars and can submerge them under 2 inches of water will do. If you’re using a stock pot or something similar that does not have a canning rack to keep the jars from directly touching the bottom, you do need to place something in the bottom that will take the place of this. Using some canning rings or even a towel will work perfectly fine!
I will say, using one of the granite ware water bath canners with the canning rack makes it extremely to drop jars into the canner and take them out all at once, In my granite ware canner, I can process 7 quarts or 9 small mouth pints at a time. My large stock pot would not fit this, but if I were to adhere to a budget, I would absolutely buy the stock pot first as it would be dual purpose for cooking food and then for canning it. I am grateful that I received my canning tools as wedding gifts!
What is a Steam Canner?
You will see in my canning recipes for high acid foods, I frequently reference to water bath or steam can at yadda yadda time. Â Water bath and steam canning times are interchangeable. Â You do not NEED a steam canner. Â BUT. Â I recently purchased one this past summer because I had a gift card and had been eyeballing it for years and finally pulled the trigger and I will say, I don’t want to live without it. Â
A steam canner holds way less water so it obviously comes to a boil much quicker than the water bath pots. Â My steam canner has a gauge on top that shows when there is enough steam accumulated for my elevation to start the processing time. Â It takes the guess work out of it! Â My steam canner can process 9 pint jars or 7 quarts and I can just about run 2 batches in my steam canner start to finish versus one batch in the water bath canner.
It does have one limitation, though. Most steam canners can only hold enough water for about a 45 minute processing time. There really isn’t much high acid out there that requires longer than this, so you’re not missing much. I think it’s just whole tomatoes that require like an hour or such, unless that processing time changed… AGAIN. I digress. If you are a rebel canner that water bathes everything, this would not work for your low acid processing. It would run dry and you can’t add more water to it without lifting the lid and letting the steam out of it.
I don’t want to live without mine, but I absolutely could.
Is This Rebel Canning?
Yes, this recipe would be considered rebel canning because I do cold pack the cranberries and there’s no tested recipes that can citrus with the peels on. These guidelines exist, not because someone got sick cold packing cranberries, but because they want you to have the best tasting and nicest looking end product. Â
Cold packed cranberries will shrink quite a bit during processing that will leave 1-2 inches of your jars with just liquid and citrus canned with the peels on can be bitter. Â Most of the time the rules are there for palatability and looks of the end product. Â Who would want to share a recipe of food that looks disgusting or tastes gross? Â Why do you think pressure canning zucchini or squash isn’t a thing? Â It’s because once you’ve pressure canned it, it’s so mushy and slimy it’s an abomination.
Cranberries and citrus, along with a massive amount of lemon juice, are absolutely well below a pH of 4.6 and will not be an environment where the botulinum toxin survives. Â Cranberries are only tested using a hot pack method by the NCHFP, or National Center for Home Food Preservation, by making a heavy syrup, boiling for 3 minutes, and then packing into jars. Â I recommend everyone does their own research regarding canning “rules” and why they exist before venturing into rebel canning land. Â
You don’t even have to if you don’t want to but it’s absolutely okay to question the rules and guidelines.  Asking why is part of the scientific process, so when someone tells me BECAUSE SCIENCE SAID SO…. science said I could ask why and challenge what it said, too. Do what you’re comfortable with and what is good for your family.  The good Lord above gave us all brains and human intuition to make decisions… I am not making said decision for you, I am simply sharing what I’m making in my own kitchen for my own family.  I live by the my kitchen, my rules saying and if you don’t like it, don’t do it. Â
You’ll hear me say that a lot because folks can’t seem to critically think for themselves without needing to be offended by something I’m doing.Â
Equipment I Think You Need:
- water bath or steam canner
- stock pot
- measuring cups
- spoon
- pint or quart canning jars
- canning lids and bands
- clean towels
- jar lifter
- jar funnel
Ingredients
- lemon juice, fresh squeezed is preferred but bottled juice will work
- sugar, honey, or maple syrup
- water
- fresh or frozen cranberries, whole berries
- lemons
- oranges
- limes
Let’s get started!
Step 1: Make the Lemon Sugar Syrup
Into a stock pot, measure and add 4 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice, 4 cups of water, and 4 cups of sugar (or honey or maple syrup). Sweetener amount you add is entirely up to you and your taste.
Place over medium high heat, cover, and heat just until hot, being careful not to boil. Be sure and stir frequently until sugar dissolves and doesn’t burn.
Step 2: Prep Jars
While the lemon sugar syrup heats, wash your jars, lids, and bands in hot soapy water. Rinse well and set aside on a clean towel. For this recipe you will need 9 pint jars.
Step 3: Prep Produce
Cranberries can be found for a good price around this time of year, Thanksgiving and Christmas, so watch your store sale ads. They freeze beautifully and will wait in the freezer until you are ready to can recipes like this one.
Rinse cranberries really well and drain. If not peeling the citrus like me, be sure and scrub and rinse them well. Slice the lemons, oranges, and limes. Make sure all the fruit is room temperature. If you prefer to peel the citrus, remove the peels and as much of the pith as possible and cut into segments.
Step 4: Fill Jars
Using a jar funnel, equally portion out the cranberries between the 9 pint jars. This works out to a heaping 1/2 cups of cranberries in each jar, but feel free to eyeball it.
Add lemon slices, orange slices, and lime slices to each jar. I aim for 1 orange slice, 1 lime slice, and 2-3 lemon slices per jar. This is not a hard and fast rule; absolutely add what and how much you’d like here.
Once the lemon simple syrup is boiling, ladle it over top of the cranberries and citrus to 1/2-1 inch headspace. De-bubble and add more liquid to maintain headspace.
Step 5: Water Bath Canning
Wipe rims of each jar with a dampened clean cloth, the important thing is to get them really clean.
Add new lids and bands and tighten according to manufacturers specifications.
Place in a hot water bath and cover with 2 inches of hot water. Bring to a full rolling boil, then start your processing time. Process jars for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude if you live in higher elevations.
After the processing time is finished, turn off the heat and allow the jars to rest in the canner for 10 minutes before removing to prevent siphoning. Set jars aside on a heat proof surface lined with a kitchen towel and allow to cool for 12-18 hours before removing bands, testing for a proper seal, washing jars, labeling and storing.
Store jars in a cool area away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures. Allow jars to sit and infuse for a minimum of 6 weeks but the longer they sit, the better they get. It’s helpful to give the jars a good shake when you pass them on the shelf to help them better infuse.
Any jars that did not seal can be reprocessed if within 24 hours of processing.
How to Use the Lemonade Concentrate:
When you are ready to make homemade lemonade with this concentrate, mix equal parts of the liquid of this concentrate with water, adjusting the amount of water added to your taste. You can strain the fruit out if you’d like, but if you’re serving it in a drink dispenser or glass pitcher, it looks really pretty if the fruit is left in it!
Happy Canning!
Equipment
- stock pot
- measuring cups
- spoon
- 9 pint jars
- canning lids and bands
- clean towels
- jar lifter
Ingredients
- 4 cups lemon juice fresh squeezed or bottled
- 4 cups raw unrefined sugar
- 4 cups water
- 36 ounces cranberries fresh or frozen
- 4 lemons
- 2 oranges
- 2 limes
Instructions
- Into a stock pot, add lemon juice, sugar, and water. Over medium high heat, heat until hot being careful not to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
- While the lemon juice mixture heats, wash 9 pints jars, lids and bands in hot soapy water, rinse and set aside on a clean towel.
- Rinse cranberries, lemons, oranges, and limes well.
- Equally portion out cranberries into each jar. This is about a heaping 1/2 cup in each jar.
- Slice lemons, oranges, and limes. If the slices are really big, halve them so they fit in the jar nicely. Add slices to each jar. I am for 4 lemon slices, 2 oranges slices, and 1 lime slice per jar. It doesn't have to be exactly that; absolutely do what works for you.
- Once the lemon juice mixture is boiling, turn off the heat. Ladle the liquid over the cranberries and citrus fruit to 1" headspace. De-bubble the jars and add more liquid if needed to maintain headspace.
- Wipe rims of jars well. Add lid and band and tighten according to lid manufacturers specifications.
- Place jars in your water bath canner or steam canner filled with hot water. If water bath canning, be sure jars are covered by at least 2 inches of water. Water bath or steam can your jars for 20 minutes. Once time is up, turn off heat and allow jars to rest 10 minutes before removing from canner to prevent siphoning.
- Place jars on a heat proof surface covered with a clean towel. Allow jars to cool 12-18 hours before removing bands, testing seals, washing jars, and labeling.
- Store jars in a cool, dark area away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures. Allow jars to sit to infuse and flavor a minimum of 6 weeks, but the longer they sit, the better they get.
- Any jars that don't seal may be reprocessed if within 24 hours of the last processing or placed in the fridge to be used later on.
- To use: pour out liquid from jar, straining off fruit. Add equal amount of water, stir, and refrigerate to chill. Enjoy!
