These honey fermented cranberries are a healthy, colorful, and delicious fermented recipe that is perfect for your Thanksgiving or holiday dinner. Fermented honey cranberries are made from nourishing real food ingredients, and are a wonderful recipe for gut health.
Fermenting Cranberries in Honey
It’s amazing to me how easy fermenting in honey is!
I’ve done all kinds of fermenting, and even have a recipe for fermented cranberries in a traditional brine. But for some reason, it took me a long time to ferment in honey. Well, I can tell you now that has changed and it’s one of my favorite cranberry recipes to make each year.
Here are more fermented honey recipes to try!
When I started my fermented honey garlic a while back, it got me thinking about what else I could ferment in honey.
I have seen recipes for berries in honey, and being that we’re coming up on the holiday season, fermenting cranberries in honey seemed like the natural thing to do.
I’m so glad I did because these fermented honey cranberries are awesome! This is probably how I will make my cranberries every year from now on.
Related: Canning Cranberry Sauce, Simple Spiced Cranberry Sauce, Quick Pickled Cranberries, Cranberry Champagne Cocktail
Fermented Honey Cranberries Recipe
Making these fermented honey cranberries is so easy that it hardly even needs a recipe!
The amounts are variable based on how much you want to make. I used a quart sized jar, and that seemed like a good amount to start with.
Prepare the Cranberries
The first step is to give the raw cranberries a little pop to break their skins and release some juices. Cranberries are tough to penetrate, so this will give the fermentation a bit of a head start.
I did this by poking them with a fork all over, but you could also give them a couple of pulses in a food processor.
Frozen cranberries can be used instead of fresh, but it is best to thaw them before adding the honey.
Add the Honey
Fill the jar with the cranberries, ginger slices, and cinnamon stick, leaving about an inch or so of head space.
Add in the orange juice (and the zest if you’d like as well), then cover the cranberries with raw honey.
It may take a while for the honey to make its way all down to the bottom of the jar, so you may need to wait a bit for it to settle, then add some more.
The cranberries will want to float to the top, but that’s ok.
Cover and Flip
Cover the jar tightly and give it a few turns to coat all of the cranberries in honey.
If you are using a metal canning lid, I recommend putting a piece of parchment paper in between the lid and and jar, as the metal can sometimes react with the fermentation process.
Then loosen the lid and put the jar in a dark corner somewhere. It would be wise to put it on a plate in case there is any honey overflow as it ferments, which is likely.
Every day or so tighten the lid and give the jar a few turns to coat the cranberries in honey again, then re-loosen the lid.
Within a few days to a week you will start to see bubbles forming in the jar! Sometimes the bubbles are very small or unnoticeable, but they usually do show up at some point.
The honey will turn a lovely red color and will become runnier as time goes on. The cranberries will start to lose some of their tartness and will become a bit more wrinkled.
These can be left to ferment for quite a while, several months even, and will be tastier as time goes on. I think the flavor even after just a few weeks was amazing!
Using Fermented Honey Cranberries
You can serve and eat these delicious fermented honey cranberries as is, or you can try putting them in a food processor to grind them up into more of a cranberry sauce.
I think I’m going to try that on Thanksgiving this year. It’s never a bad idea to get some fermented food in during a big meal!
If you are concerned about botulism, which is very rare in this type of ferment, use a pH test strip. Botulism spores can’t reproduce with a pH of less than 4.6. Honey is usually around 3.9, but that can vary between brands. Cranberries are also highly acidic.
If the pH is too high, add a splash of raw apple cider vinegar to add more acidity and retest. This is generally not needed, but I do want to mention it to ease any worries.
Honey cranberries should not be given to babies under one year of age.
Low on time and want an amazing, nonfermented, cranberry sauce recipe? This spiced cranberry sauce with orange and ginger is my favorite!
Have you ever fermented cranberries? What did you think of the result?
More Fermented and Infused Honey Recipes
Enjoy these other honey ferments and infusions!
- Fermented Elderberry Honey
- Herbal Infused Honey
- Fermented Honey Garlic
- Lilac Flower Infused Honey
- Fermented Ginger Honey
- Fermented Jalapeno Honey
- Fermented Honey Blueberries
Fermented Honey Cranberries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh cranberries skins slightly crushed
- 1″ knob ginger sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 orange juiced
- 2 cups raw honey or enough to completely cover the cranberries
Instructions
- Break the skins of the cranberries to release some of their juices by either piercing the skins with the tines of a fork, or gently pulsing in a food processor.
- Place the bruised cranberries into a quart-sized mason jar. Add the ginger slices, cinnamon stick and orange juice and stir. Then pour in enough raw honey to cover the cranberries.
- Place the lid securely on the jar, then give it a few turns to coat all of the cranberries in the honey.
- Loosen the lid, then place the jar into a dark place to ferment. Every few days, tighten the lid, give the jar a few turns, then re-loosen the lid.
- Within a few days to a week you will begin to see small bubbles forming in the honey.
- The honey cranberries will ferment for a month or more, but you can eat them at any time. The honey will turn a red color, and will become more runny as time goes on. The cranberries will start to lose some of their tartness, and will become a bit more wrinkled.
- Store in a cool place for many months or even a year or more.
Notes
- It’s important to use raw honey for this recipe, as it has all of the bacteria and wild yeast that is necessary for fermentation.
- The small amount of orange juice will create just enough liquid for fermentation to happen.
- It’s a good idea to put a plate underneath the jar during fermentation, as it will likely bubble up and a little bit of honey could possibly drip out.
- If you are concerned about botulism, use a pH test strip. Botulism spores can’t reproduce with a pH of less than 4.6. Honey is usually around 3.9, but that can vary between brands. Cranberries are also highly acidic.
- If the pH is too high, add a splash of raw apple cider vinegar to add more acidity and retest. This is generally not needed, but I do want to mention it.
- Honey cranberries should not be given to babies under one year of age.
Can I use bottled orange juice, or does it need to be fresh?
It seems to me that most of the honey on the shelf is raw. I bought some that said raw & unfiltered. I was expecting this to be difficult to find. My cranberries are floating. I tried adding more, but then felt like there wasn’t enough room at the top of the jar. Do you think this means I have too much liquid?
Alisa, I’d say they are fine. Mine floated also. I just made sure they were all coated with honey. I flipped my jar over everyday to make sure they were coated and set it upright again until the next day. Eventually they did sink down. As far as the honey, I’ve now found it is easier to find in the stores. I do not assume honey is raw unless it states it on the label as it can be exposed to heat at high enough temperature to render it no longer “raw”. I’m fortunate to be able to buy local honey at our farmer’s markets, but I do look in the stores when browsing in case I’m out and in urgent need. Good Luck, these are really a special treat?
Can I ask is this in a pint or quart mason jar?
I used a quart jar, but use whatever size you like!
Do the cranberries need to be refrigerated? How long before the berries stay submerged.
No, fermentation occurs much faster at room temperature. You can refrigerate when they reach the flavor you prefer and this will drastically slow the fermentation process.
I don’t have enough honey to fill the jars completely…if I dilute with water will it still ferment?
Early in the comments there is a lot of mention of adding water for garments so I believe this would be perfectly fine.
Check with your local Beekeeper! Honey is 18.5% moisture or less, at times there will be spun honey that has not been dried down enough by the Bees= over 18.5%, this is still usually good for up to a year and used in meads and ferments
I made fruit/herbal water with cherries, raspberries, blueberries, lemon and mint. The flavor is amazing! Altho kept in the fridge, the mixture has begun to ferment. Should I dump the fruit now that most of the water is gone or should I let the fermentation continue? Will it remain drinkable? Should I process in a blender for better fermentation? Can I add honey to make a mead? I would appreciate any advice. Thanks.
I just saw your recipe for honey garlic before finding this one! Oh my gosh! I can’t wait to try this one. I love cranberries, so the idea of fermenting them in honey also sounds great. They are already pretty sweet and tart, and you mentioned some of the tartness goes away – that is so interesting! I’m super curious and excited to see the flavor that comes about when you finally have your end product. Thank you for sharing this!
Just finished eating my first batch and they were delicious. Is it possible to use the leftover honey and add more fresh for the correct level of liquid?
I was wondering the same thing.
I generally advise to start a new batch fresh, otherwise it can end up being the wrong pH which isn’t ideal.
How do you know when it is done? I have blueberries going in honey right now, and have no clue when to put a stop to it or any honey ferment.
It’s done when you think it’s done, haha! Really, there is no right answer to this. They will last for a very long time and can be eaten throughout the duration.
I don’t really see any ratios given here. can anyone provide that; and to what size jar per ratio? Thanks in advance!
Fill jar loosely with broken up cranberries. Stick in cinnamon stick and ginger slices if desired (I layered mine in as I added the cranberries). Orange zest, too. Pour honey into jar until it seeps all the way in to the bottom of the jar and covers the berries on top. I processed my berries quite a bit so ran a knife through them to help the honey reach the bottom of the jar. I used a pint canning jar and probably 1 – 2 cups of honey.
You instructed to break the surface of the berries, but in the pictures, the berries look whole. Which is it? They look very good, regardless!
You’re right, the berries do look whole in the pictures. I used a potato masher to gently break the skins, but it’s hard to see that in the pics! It’s an important step so that the honey can get into the berries. You can pulse them in a food processor instead if it’s easier or if you want them more broken up.
I just got home from the store with everything I need to make these! Or so I thought….I didn’t get ginger root or an orange…can I make this without them? Or simple subs? I do have lemon juice, but nothing I can think of to sub for ginger slices, except ground, but I’m thinking that wouldn’t work. What would you do? I can get it tomorrow if need be, but I really just want to make them! Thanks!
Yes, you can definitely make them without them. All you really need is the cranberries and honey. If you do end up getting the ginger and orange you can always add it in later, too!
If I have access only to low temp pasteurized honey will that work?
A friend made your recipe and gifted it to me for Thanksgiving. Just wanted to share that this is a fantastic recipe! Tastes great, especially over turkey.
What is the least fermentation time for them to be ready?
This is going to depend on a few factors, but it seemed like mine took a few days to really get going, then a week or so before they were “done”. They will be edible regardless, but will be more tart if you don’t give them a lot of time. You may want to try grinding them up a bit first, as that may speed the process along.
Was wondering if you could use dehydrated cranberries that have been re-hydrated..
Wow! Have everything ready to go. Harvested honey first time this year. Can’t wait to watch the results! Thanks
We already froze all the cranberries from our property and I bet it won’t be good to use frozen cranberries for this. Am I correct?
I haven’t tried it, but I would think it would be just fine!
Frozen work fine.
There was a question about honey being to thick .If you slightly warm it up in a hot water bath it will thin out
I wonder if lemon would work instead of an orange?
Yes, I think it would work great!
Yes! I have an allergy to orange and orange oil in particular so I can tell have orange. I was wondering if there could be a substitute.
or just leave it out. All you really need is the cranberries and honey.
Lime would be wonderful!!!
Am I the only one thinking this would be delicious spooned over ice cream or even oatmeal?
Mmm, that sounds delicious!
My husband discovered my jar and has declared it wonderful on cereal. I had to make another batch so I can have some to myself. So good!
Many months ago my husband discovered my jar of cranberries in honey and was liberally applying them to his bowls of breakfast cereal until I put a stop to that! We had just enough left for a small serving with our turkey last night, and I’m back to the recipe to make more for next year, and to share it with a friend at the dinner last night. Thank you for this great recipe!
Fabulous recipe! I’ll try this myself, thanks for the great tip, never knew of fermenting stuff in honey. Amazing combination!
Was this made in a large mason-like jar with a plastic screw top or a metal top? And could I use a Fido jar instead? Also, do you recommend a raw honey brand? My local raw honey is very thick but I think I remember seeing a more liquidy raw brand at the store…
This was made in a quart sized mason jar with a plastic screw top (one of the white canning “storage lids”). You could use a Fido jar, but I would probably burp it when it’s in active fermentation. I just use local raw honey that I get in bulk from the natural food store. If you have access to a Trader Joe’s I believe that they carry raw honey for a decent price.
How would I know if it’s unsafe to eat? I’m nervous about fermenting. How long can you keep it before it’s bad?
Fermenting in honey is actually very safe and is unlikely to cause anything bad to form. People will often keep their fermented honey garlic for a year or more. Honey lasts forever without going bad! That said, if you see any mold or anything weird growing on top I would probably toss it.
How about just crushing the berries a bit in a bag ??
Yeah, that would probably work. You just want to make sure that you break open most of the berries.
How can honey ferment if it’s antibacterial?
Yes, honey is antibacterial, but raw honey also contains a lot of wild yeasts, which is what makes it ferment. All you have to do is add a little liquid to the honey and it will almost always start to ferment on its own! This is how mead was originally “discovered”.
The honey thins out after a few days because of all the water in the cranberries and ginger. It dilutes the honey and it becomes a more hospitable environment for the wild yeasts in the honey to grow. :) No additional water is needed. But you can always add some if you want! Fermenting is great for experimenting
After you tighten lid and mix, can you cover with cheesecloth and a rubber band instead of loosening the lid to allow for a free flow of air?
I assume this does not create something alcoholic?
It will have a tiny amount of alcohol, just like any ferment would… but no, it will not be anything like an alcoholic drink ;)
When you say cover the cranberries with honey, do you ‘coat’ them or do you submerge them in honey (the way cabbage is submerged in brine)? Thank you!
Ideally you want enough honey so that the cranberries will be submerged. That said, they will want to float at first, but that’s ok as long as they are coated with honey. This is also why I say to turn the jar every few days.
Thanks for the clear reply!
Do you have instructions on how to ferment plain honey? (Not mead)
Thank you in advance for your help
I don’t, but I do know that in order for honey to ferment some amount of liquid needs to be added. If you add a good amount of liquid, like 2 or 3 times the amount of honey, then you will get mead. But you could try just a small amount and see what happens!
Plain honey will not ferment, the pH is too low for yeast to live in it. This is what allows honey to store for years. When you add water (or juices) the pH raises allowing yeast to work its magic. Varying the amount of water will determine how sweet or dry the final result is. With high concentrations of honey it will be sweet.
This is because the yeast will create alcohol which when it hits a certain level (varies a lot by different yeast strains, but about 15% is typical) it kills the yeast cells. This some of the honey remains unfermented and the liquid is sweet.
Conversely, with less honey the yeast can metabolize more or even all of the sugar, resulting in semi or even bone dry mead.
Bear in mind that honey fermentations are notoriously slow, and can take several months. Ideally the mead should be stored for a few months, which will allow the rough flavors to mellow and improve a great deal.
Also if you want consistent results it is best to pasteurize the honey water, cool and pitch a specific yeast strain. Depending on the strain you can get many different outcomes in terms of flavor and % of alcohol. If you choose to let it spontaneously ferment you can get excellent results, but the outcomes are highly unpredictable. There are many many wild yeasts and bacteria that can ferment with highly variable results, sometimes resulting in off flavors.
If your intention is a probiotic product, adding fruit is a great idea, you can get more probiotics and much less alcohol this way. The honey and cranberries is a great idea, in fact I made my first batch this morning.
Thanks Colleen!!
Mike, did you choose to allow the wild yeast to ferment the batch you started this morning or did you choose a particular yeast? I’m curious which way you went with this. Could it sit for a year (if I could wait that long) or should I just plan to enjoy it in about 6 months or so if I wanted to make it to have at a later time?
if you know a beekeeper, you could ask him for some uncapped honey. The bees cap the honey once it reaches a certain moisture content. If you bottle uncapped honey it will ferment because the moisture content is still to high