Recipes Using Fresh Cranberries (2024)

FAQs

What are fresh cranberries good for? ›

Many people consider cranberries to be a superfood due to their high nutrient and antioxidant content. In fact, research has linked the nutrients in cranberries to a lower risk of urinary tract infection (UTI), the prevention of certain types of cancer, improved immune function, and decreased blood pressure.

When baking biscuits, it's enough simply to stir the cranberries through. However, if you're planning on using these beautiful red fruits in larger baked goods - like cakes, breads or muffins - you may wish to coat them in a little flour before adding them to your mixture and stirring through.

Fresh, raw cranberries can add a pleasant bite and burst of color to any dish. You can eat them whole like blueberries, toss them into a salad, add them to oatmeal, or blend them into a smoothie. If they're too tart for you, you can chop them and add a little sugar or any other sweetener.

Anything from a drizzle of honey to agave, maple syrup, or molasses will also fare well. After a few minutes of maceration, the sour fruit juices will mix with the sugar and alleviate some of the cranberries' natural tartness.

Is it safe to eat cranberries raw? Cranberries are generally considered safe whether they are cooked or raw. However, because of their notoriously bitter, sharp taste, most people prefer not to eat them raw or unsweetened. This bitterness is due to the high tannin content of cranberries.

Cranberries contain a substance that can prevent bacteria from sticking on the walls of the bladder. This may help reduce bladder and other urinary tract infections (UTIs). Cranberries (usually as cranberry juice) have been used to try and treat UTIs, particularly in high risk groups such as older people.

There's really not much you need to do to prepare fresh cranberries for baking. I just soaked and rinsed my berries to wash them off and then folded them into my cranberry orange pound cake batter. Pro tip: toss your fresh cranberries with a little flour so they won't sink in the batter!

Your recipe should specify whether to use chopped cranberries or not. If it doesn't, be sure to measure your cranberries before chopping them. Follow this guide: If the recipe says to use "1 cup (250 mL) cranberries" chop the cranberries first, then measure them.

Fresh cranberries are usually good stored in the refrigerator for two weeks. If kept longer, you will find a gradual deterioration of quality with more soft or bruised berries. Berries can be stored in the original packaging in the refrigerator crisper for up to four weeks.

Yes, raw cranberries are safe to consume raw, but you probably don't want to eat them that way. "Cranberries are safe to eat raw. However, usually they are cooked and have sugar added because of the bitter and sharp taste they have when raw," says Kelly West Keyser, a registered dietitian in Alabama.

What is the healthiest way to eat cranberries? ›

Or you can purchase already frozen cranberries in your grocery store. If you're wondering how to use cranberries in your diet, some healthy ideas are to throw fresh or frozen cranberries into smoothies, oatmeal, salsa, or granola.

4. Cranberries. Cranberries are low in potassium and high in vitamin C, making them another great choice for people with kidney disease. Cranberry juice has also been shown to help prevent urinary tract infections, which are typical for people with kidney disease.

Anything from a drizzle of honey to agave, maple syrup, or molasses will also fare well. After a few minutes of maceration, the sour fruit juices will mix with the sugar and alleviate some of the cranberries' natural tartness.

Dear Evelyn: I had the same problem when I first started making my own cranberry sauce. I found out that you should cook them just until they pop. Further cooking will make them bitter, and once that happens, you need to start again.

If your cranberry sauce is too thick, it's most likely overcooked. When you cook cranberries (or any berries), they burst, releasing pectin—a natural thickener. The key to a perfect consistency is to allow some but not all of the cranberries to split open—something you'll achieve with less time on the stove.

The cranberry is also a contender when it comes to antioxidant content. While wild blueberries outperform them when it comes to measuring both antioxidant capacity and cellular antioxidant activity, cranberries pack their own health punch.

Consuming cranberries can prevent tooth decay and gum disease, inhibit urinary tract infections, reduce inflammation in the body, maintain a healthy digestion system, and decrease cholesterol levels [2,5,9,10].

While cranberries are the quintessential Thanksgiving fruit, their myriad of health benefits as a functional food are available year-round. Cranberries have unique A-type proanthocyanidins (PACs), which help decrease bacterial adhesion to maintain healthy gut bacteria and help prevent H.

Possibly Effective for

Infections of the kidney, bladder, or urethra (urinary tract infections or UTIs). Taking certain cranberry products by mouth seems to help prevent UTIs in adult females, children, and people at risk for developing UTIs due to certain surgeries or radiation treatment.