Cranberries

Find quick tips to create a super simple side dish for your party 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 non-sugar sweetener like stevia extract.

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 colour 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.

Buying and storing tips

Cranberries are harvested between early September and late October, with the peak market period extending from October through December. Look for cranberries that are bright red, plump, hard, and shiny. Avoid shriveled, soft, spongy, or browned fruits, which may produce an off flavour. Cranberries will keep up to two months refrigerated and can be frozen for up to a year.

In early days, berries were selected by being rolled down a short flight of stairs. Good ones bounced like little rubber balls, soft ones stayed on the steps. Today’s grading machines work on the same principle.

Varieties

In the fall, fresh cranberries are sold in 12-ounce (336g) bags in most supermarkets. Tinned cranberry sauce—strained and jelled, and whole-berry—is available all the 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.

Nutrition 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.

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The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or chemist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires August 2007.