Find quick tips to create a super simple side for your holiday meals
Best to buy
Cranberries are harvested between early September and late October, with the peak market period from October until the end of December.
Quick cranberry sauce
Simmer 3 cups (425 grams) of cranberries in 3/4 cup (170 ml) water and mash when soft. Add 1 1/2 cups (340 grams) sugar, simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, and refrigerate.
Juicy juice
To make your own cranberry juice, cover berries with water and simmer for 40 minutes. Purée and sweeten to taste with sugar or a nonsugar sweetener like stevia extract.
Varieties
In the fall, fresh cranberries are sold in 12-ounce (336g) bags in most supermarkets. Canned cranberry sauce—strained and jelled, and whole-berry—is available year-round, as are frozen cranberries in some markets. Sweetened dried cranberries can be used like raisins in baked goods or as snacks, and are available in many supermarkets.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Because these berries have a very tart taste, few people eat them in their fresh, raw state. Cranberries are a good addition to nut breads, and pair well with wild rice and whole grains. They combine well with other fall fruits such as apples and pears, and their red color and lively taste can brighten up roast poultry and otherwise ordinary dishes.
Commercial cranberry juice is usually sweetened. To make your own, cover the cranberries with water and simmer, keeping the lid on the pot, for 40 minutes. Puree and sweeten to taste with your choice of sweetener.
To make your own whole cranberry sauce, you need 3 cups (95g) of cranberries, 1 1/2 cups (480g) of sugar, and 3/4 cup (168.7ml) of water. Simmer cranberries and water together. While simmering, mash with potato masher. Add sugar; simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Put into container and refrigerate. Makes about 2 cups (470ml) of sauce.
Nutritional Highlights
Cranberries (whole berries), 1 cup (95g)
Calories: 46
Protein: 0.37g
Carbohydrate: 12g
Total Fat: 0.19g
Fiber: 4.0g
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value, based upon United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the USDA Recommended Daily Value. Nutritional information and daily nutritional guidelines may vary in different countries. Please consult the appropriate organization in your country for specific nutritional values and the recommended daily guidelines.
Copyright 2007, Healthnotes, Inc., 1505 S.E. Gideon St., Suite 200, Portland, Oregon 97202, www.Healthnotes.com.
2006-09-07
