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    Home » Ingredient feature

    Ingredient feature: cranberry

    Published: Oct 30, 2019 · Modified: Oct 30, 2023 by Trish Bozeman · This post may contain affiliate links · 7 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    A beginner’s guide to cranberry! How to choose, store, cook, freeze, and eat fresh cranberries. Cranberry nutrition and benefits plus recipe ideas!

    fresh cranberries in a blue basket

    Hi, Rhubarbarians! Happy cranberry season!

    Today we are talking all about our favorite fall berry: cranberries! The tart little fruits that are a holiday staple here in the US. You just can't have a Thanksgiving dinner without jellied cranberry sauce or whole berry cranberry sauce on the table, right?

    But cranberries are so much more than just a sweetened sauce on your holiday table. Here's your beginner's guide to these amazingly flavorful berries.

    Here's a list of our ten favorite cranberry recipes that aren't cranberry sauce!

    What are cranberries?

    A cranberry is a fruit! It is a berry that grows on a low, creeping shrub. Raw cranberries are very tart and are rarely eaten raw as a snack. But, when cooked they become a bit sweeter and are one of the quintessential fruits of fall here in America.

    When are cranberries in season?

    Cranberries are in season from September to November here in the cooler, Northern US states.

    fresh cranberries in blue basket

    How are cranberries grown?

    Have you heard of a cranberry bog? Well.. that's not really how they are grown. The berries are grown on short shrubs. They start out a pale green color and grow to be very red and even larger than their leaves when ripe. The soil is kept fairly dry the majority of the year, until the harvest begins.

    The most common way to harvest cranberries is to flood the berry bed with water (hence the cranberry bog) and use a machine to shake the berries off of the shrubs. The berries then float to the top of the water and can be corralled and gathered.

    Nutrition and benefits

    A cranberry is a powerhouse packed with nutrients and anti-oxidants. It has been known as a "superfood" due to it's range of possible health benefits.

    Print Recipe
    5 from 5 votes

    Servings: 0
    Calories: 23kcal

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup fresh cranberries

    Nutrition

    Calories: 23kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.1g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.07g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 42.5mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 2.02g | Vitamin C: 6.65mg

    Did you know? Cranberries have high levels of antioxidant proanthocyanidins, which can help prevent UTIs. However, cranberry juice does not contain a high enough concentration to do this.

    cranberries in a farmers market basket

    Choosing and storing fresh berries

    Cranberries should be very smooth and firm with no wrinkles. They should be light in weight and even bouncy.

    If you see any wrinkled berries or berries with dark spots, remove them from your batch.

    Store fresh cranberries in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 3 weeks. Check for wrinkled or browned berries regularly, as a bad berry can cause the rest of your berries to spoil.

    You can find our "how to store fresh cranberries" guide here!

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    freezing cranberries

    Freezing and storing

    Cranberries freeze beautifully! Spread the berries out on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper in a single layer and place in the freezer until frozen (about 3 hours). Transfer to an air tight container or plastic bag and put back into the freezer.

    Cranberries can be stored in the freezer for up to a year, depending on the container that you use. (The better the seal, the longer they will last.)

    Unless you're planning to eat the cranberries raw, there's no need to thaw them before using. Toss the frozen cranberries in a pan to make cranberry sauce, stir them into dough for baked goods, or toss them into a smoothie. Easy as that!

    fresh cranberry sauce

    How to eat cranberries

    Fresh

    Fresh cranberries have an amazing flavor and are loaded with nutrients and anti-oxidants, but can be very tart.

    • Eat the raw and enjoy their flavor
    • Coat them in sugar and make sugared cranberries
    • Toss them into smoothies
    • Infuse bourbon or other alcohol

    Cooked

    Cooked cranberries have a fantastic, deep red color and become little juicy bursts when cooked, similar to other berries.

    • Make cranberry sauce
    • Add them to pancakes or baked goods like muffins
    • Add them to holiday vegetable dishes
    • Add them to savory dishes like chili for a uniquely fall flavor

    Dried

    Dried cranberries are the most commonly form of cranberry, as they are widely available year round.

    • Eat them as a snack
    • Add them to granola or tail mix
    • Toss them in oatmeal or on top of cereal
    • Add them to holiday dishes
    • Toss them into a salad for their tart flavor

    Juiced

    Cranberry juice is amazingly tart, so it's usually sweetened.

    • Drink it plain! Sweetened or unsweetened, it's delicious
    • Add it to a smoothie
    • Make a holiday cocktail or mocktail
    fresh cranberry smoothie

    Must-try cranberry recipes

    Jellied cranberry sauce recipe
    Holiday classic jellied cranberry sauce recipe! Here’s how to make perfectly smooth cranberry sauce at home for your Thanksgiving table.
    Check out this recipe
    A photo of jellied cranberry sauce in a white ramekin.
    Fresh cranberry smoothie recipe with cinnamon and pomegranate
    Amazingly refreshing cranberry smoothie recipe! This cinnamon spiced cranberry pomegranate smoothie is naturally sweetened and a great way to get a healthy boost after the holidays.
    Check out this recipe
    cranberry pomegranate smoothie
    Maple roasted butternut squash with cranberries and pecans
    Cozy maple roasted butternut squash with cranberries recipe! This cranberry pecan butternut squash bake is the perfect blend of fall flavors and makes a great Thanksgiving or holiday side dish.
    Check out this recipe
    Butternut squash with cranberries and pecans in a white dish
    Cranberry pancakes with buttermilk and cinnamon
    Got some cranberries in your fridge? Try this fresh cranberry pancakes recipe with buttermilk and cinnamon. Buttery and bursting with flavor!
    Check out this recipe
    A square photo of a stack of cranberry pancakes with cranberry sauce, butter, and sugared cranberries on top.
    Cranberry dark chocolate coconut granola
    This granola tastes like oatmeal cookies! Super easy recipe for delicious coconut granola with cranberries and dark chocolate. So much better than store bought!
    Check out this recipe
    This granola tastes like oatmeal cookies! Super easy recipe for delicious coconut granola with cranberries and dark chocolate. So much better than store bought! // Rhubarbarians // #granola #oatmealcookies #breakfast #homemade #recipe #oatmeal

    You can find all of our cranberry recipes here!

    If you have any more questions or tips about cranberries, please let us know on social media or in the comments below! Leave a star rating in your comment or tag us on Instagram with #Rhubarbarians.

    Thank you so much for reading and supporting Rhubarbarians and the brands that we recommend. If you’re looking for a group of people cooking vegetarian recipes through the seasons, join us on Facebook in our vegetarian and vegan recipes group!

    Hope you enjoy cranberry season!

    LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? GET FREE WEEKLY RECIPES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX! SIGN UP HERE!

    More Ingredient feature

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    • A square overhead photo of fresh cranberries stored in a farmers market basket.
      How to store fresh cranberries
    • A square photo of a stack of pancakes with cranberry sauce drizzled on top.
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    • A square photo of dipping a spoon into a bowl of butternut squash soup with thai butternut squash soup toppings.
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Norma kinson

      March 07, 2020 at 9:54 pm

      Is there a quick and easy way to top and tail cranberries . Home grown and I only have 12 bushes, but want to freeze as many as possible . Hope you can help.
      Norma...

      Reply
      • Trish Bozeman

        March 12, 2020 at 11:33 am

        Unfortunately, I have never grown cranberries. I wish I could help! I bet a quick google search would show some results. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Jenni LeBaron

      November 18, 2019 at 10:30 am

      5 stars
      I love cranberries! In fact, I have three containers of them sitting in my fridge right now just begging to be used in one of these recipes. Can't wait to put them to good use with the granola!

      Reply
    3. Tracy

      November 18, 2019 at 10:30 am

      5 stars
      Such great tips and information about cranberries! As a family who used to only eat the canned stuff at Thanksgiving, now I think I’m ready to tackle the real stuff! Thank you!

      Reply
    4. Dana Sandonato

      November 18, 2019 at 7:22 am

      5 stars
      I always have so many cranberries and cranberry sauce leftover after hosting Friendsgiving. These must-try recipes are HAPPENING. Fantastic post, Tricia. Lots of information here, which is so so helpful since I only use cranberries one or twice a year. So I often forget the best freezing practices and ways to use up leftovers.

      Reply
    5. Gloria

      November 15, 2019 at 4:51 am

      5 stars
      Love this post. I always have cranberries in the freezer. Since fresh are only available a few times I year, I stock up when I can. Love all the ways to use them. Once you make homemade cranberry sauce, you will never buy canned again!!

      Reply
    6. Lisa Lotts

      November 14, 2019 at 7:17 am

      5 stars
      I think it's so cool how cranberries are harvested -- though I didn't know that they had to agitate the trees and flood the cranberry areas to do that. I'd only seen them floating on the water before, so I appreciate that little nugget. That cranberry dark chocolate granola sounds utterly amazing, too. I'm definitely making THAT recipe! Genius.

      Reply

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