anyone have ideas for cranberries?!

hillarychristina
hillarychristina Posts: 10
in Recipes
So I bought 2 packages of oceanspray cranberries because they were on sale and I got them home and tried some and realized....I cannot stomach them completely plain/raw. quite tart for my taste haha.
anyways, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas as to a healthy way I can eat them/use them because I really don't want to waste them.
anything besides cranberry sauce or something thanks for any ideas :)

Replies

  • rf1170
    rf1170 Posts: 180 Member
    I made the same mistake when I was younger! the bubbling pot of cranberries cooking away smelled so good, so I thought for sure a berry would taste delicious. horrible. I've never made anything but sauce, jam, or jelly with cranberries, mostly because they're so sour as to require added sugar. perhaps other commenters will have more ideas, but I'm fresh out.

    that said, "added sugar" doesn't have to mean cups of white sugar (unless that's what you like; I'm not a sugar Nazi). I've used less-processed sugars like honey, maple sugar, and rapadura to good effect. a few years ago I made a fermented relish with cranberries, apples, and oranges, and though I don't have the recipe now, it wasn't that different from this one: http://gnowfglins.com/2010/12/20/fermented-cranberry-relish/#

    I'll check in on this thread again to see if anyone else has some good ideas I haven't tried yet - thanks for the suggestion! good luck, and enjoy your cranberry surplus!
  • coliema
    coliema Posts: 7,646 Member
    Maybe you could put them on a salad, with almonds? Or mix them in yogurt.

    Are they dried cranberries?
  • avir8
    avir8 Posts: 671 Member
    Juice them then add vodka :drinker:
  • EvilShenanigansTX
    EvilShenanigansTX Posts: 143 Member
    You can roast them with a little honey or agave syrup and cinnamon.

    Make Cranberry Orange Jam for toast.

    Roast cranberries with onions, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes for a side dish or to puree into soup.

    Float them in a beverage (1 part sugar free cranberry juice and 1 part diet ginger ale or sparkling wine and a few cranberries for garnish is LOVELY for brunch or a party)

    String them for a cute cranberry garland to decorate the kitchen for fall.

    Cranberry ice cream
  • gddrdld
    gddrdld Posts: 464 Member
    Maybe you could put them on a salad, with almonds? Or mix them in yogurt.

    Are they dried cranberries?

    No. They are raw/fresh. You will need to use them in a recipe that has some added sweetener as they are too tart on their own. I would make a fresh cranberry/orange chutney or cranberry sauce and then freeze it for use later. You can also use them in cranberry breads or muffins.

    Just google "fresh cranberry recipes".
  • LaurySch
    LaurySch Posts: 277 Member
    I found a great recipe for orange/cranberry loaf a year or two ago. It uses frozen cranberries and it tasted great! Not sure how 'healthy' it was, though!
  • laarae
    laarae Posts: 332 Member
    Cook them w/apple juice-to make a sauce-sugar free but sweet, add them to banana bread or make cranberry bread, I also make a sweet relish-cook them, add crushed pineapple, nuts and chopped apples (or what ever fruits you like) Cranberries are very versitle-I love to put the sauce on almost all meats-chicken, pork, fish... adds a different flavor and texture. I am sure Ocean Spray's website has recipes also
  • laarae
    laarae Posts: 332 Member
    You can roast them with a little honey or agave syrup and cinnamon.

    Make Cranberry Orange Jam for toast.

    Roast cranberries with onions, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes for a side dish or to puree into soup.

    Float them in a beverage (1 part sugar free cranberry juice and 1 part diet ginger ale or sparkling wine and a few cranberries for garnish is LOVELY for brunch or a party)

    String them for a cute cranberry garland to decorate the kitchen for fall.

    Cranberry ice cream

    YUMMY ideas :
  • leolin6
    leolin6 Posts: 57
    yep, cranberry/orange relish

    1 bag of cranberries
    1 orange
    place in food processor
    1 cup splenda added and refrigerate
    optional pecan chips

    freeze left overs for Thanksgiving
  • hillarychristina
    hillarychristina Posts: 10
    thanks for all the ideas! i thought i was being so smart to get 2 bags for 5 dollars and got them home and just....YUCK. wasn't expecting that burst of sour lol
  • sandobr1
    sandobr1 Posts: 319 Member
    You can freeze them, save them for the holidays if you need a dish to pass. This is not necessarily in the healthy department but are amazing if you need to bring a dessert. Guessing you could modify it and make it a smidge healthier.

    http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cranberry-bars/detail.aspx
  • ckish
    ckish Posts: 341 Member
    My favorite is Sugared Cranberries. Sounds sinful but it's not. Just simmer them in water and sugar for a few minutes. Do not boil or they will pop open. Cool and refridgerate overnight. Drain and roll in granulated sugar. I add pure dry powdered vanilla to the sugar before rolling for extra flavor. Let dry about an hour. They are safe to store at room temperature but I keep mine in the fridge.

    Some people use the leftover sugar syrup for other things but I don't. The berries don't absorb much liquid and it takes surprisingly little sugar to coat but they pack an amazing flavor punch. My kids love them and we make them for the holidays every year. I suppose you could coat with the fake sugar stuff to reduce the calories even further but really the small bit of sugar in the beautiful festive treats is so minimal I wouldn't bother.
  • hjeniferw
    hjeniferw Posts: 15 Member
    Cranberry Salsa!
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
    Freeze them, they'll last at least a year. Then make your own cranberry sauce for the holidays (the recipe is on the bag, I add a stick of cinnamon). There are a ton of recipes for cranberry bars, coffee cake, muffins, etc.

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