Fresh, ripe cranberries bounce when dropped, and with cranberry harvest wrapping up, fresh cranberries should be bouncing into the produce section of your local grocery store soon, if they haven’t already. Fresh cranberries can be enjoyed in a variety of ways right away or stashed in your freezer for up to one year. The fresh cranberry season is relatively short (September – December), and shoppers are encouraged to buy some for now and some for the freezer for use throughout the year.
Fresh cranberries are cholesterol free, fat free, and sodium free. A serving of fresh cranberries many vitamins and nutrients including 1.8 g of fiber and 7 mg of Vitamin C that helps support a healthy immune system. Fresh cranberries are very low in natural sugar, and that corresponding acidity is what may cause your mouth to pucker when you eat a raw one. However, that acidity content also makes cranberries the perfect ingredient for balancing out sweet dishes or even tenderizing meats.
Incorporating fresh cranberries into recipes is a delicious and easy way to add unique flavor, color and variety to sweet and savory dishes. Think outside the bog with cranberries and explore sweet treats such as: Cranberry White Chocolate Cheesecake, Spiked Cranberry Chutney, or Cranberry Gingerbread Cupcakes; delight in savory dishes such as: Roasted Cranberry, Wild Rice and Kale Salad; Savory Cranberry Stuffed Acorn Squash, or Cranberry Braised Short Ribs; and cheers with drinks including: Cranberry Dark and Stormy, Cranberry Mule or Sparkling Cranberry Sangria. All recipes can be found at http://www.uscranberries.com, and frozen cranberries can be used in place of fresh cranberries in most recipes, no thawing needed.
America’s Original Superfruit® can be used in decorating this fall. With their bright-hued reds, pearl-like shape, and ability to float in water, fresh cranberries are a decorative powerhouse. Fresh cranberries are an easy and inexpensive way to brighten floral and candle arrangements, bejewel wreaths and garlands, and enhance tablescapes.
