A Feast of Cranberries: 5 Great Recipes

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5 Great Recipes with Cranberries

• Cranberry Cubes
• Low-Sugar Cranberry Drinks
• Cranberry-Pear Butter
• Acorn Squash Stuffed with Cranberry Wild Rice
• Cranberry Bran Loaf
• Preparing cranberries

With fresh cranberries just coming to ­market, now’s the time to stock up. Preserving the tangy taste means a year’s protection against ­urinary troubles, dental plaque, and maybe even cholesterol and cancer. 

Nearly 50 percent of all women have had a ­urinary tract infection (UTI) at some point in their lives. And for those who have had one, they’re more likely to have another.

Long a folk remedy for UTIs, cranberries have moved into the medical mainstream. During the past two decades, numerous articles have verified not only their ability to cure and/or prevent UTIs but have also suggested that compounds found in cranberries may inhibit tumors, dental caries, and the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

Although antibiotics and other aggressive forms of intervention may be required to cure UTIs, cranberries can be the first line of defense to prevent their occurrence, and may be sufficient treatment to eliminate some established infections.

Designing your own cranberry creations 

Considering their health benefits and their succulent, tart flavor, cranberries ought to be a regular item on everyone’s table. The problem, of course, is access to fruit after the short holiday season—fresh berries are rarely available after early January, and most grocery stores don’t carry cranberries year-round.

There are, however, simple ways to keep cranberries in your kitchen. Freezing bags of berries is ideal if you have a chest freezer. Simply put them in a plastic freezer bag. Just before you’re ready to use the cranberries, prepare them as described in “Preparing cranberries” on page 48. Frozen berries keep well for up to a year, and you can use them in virtually all ways you would fresh berries: in breads, muffins, pancakes, sauces, preserves, syrups, and drinks. A handful makes a lovely addition to whole-grain pilafs or an appealing, tart counterpoint to sweet, starchy vegetables like winter squash, yams, and sweet potatoes.

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