Cranberry blog
Since holiday discussions are in full swing, I must talk about one of my favorites: cranberries. I freeze them when they are available, so I can make cranberry sauce all year. I use the dried ones in salads, stuffings and desserts. On Thanksgiving I serve a cranberry casserole as a sidedish. It is cranberries, apples and sugar, topped with a brown sugar, butter, flour, oatmeal, chopped pecan streusel. How do you make your cranberries? Do you eat them raw? I do!
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20 Comments:
Three things cranberry: The first would be Abby Mandel's Upside Down Cranberry Cake first printed in the LA Times then added to the book Best American Recipes 2001-2002. The recipe is here on Kitchenography's blog.
The next would be the Cranberry Loaf from James Beard's "Beard on Bread". There's a recipe for it here if you scroll down a bit - the only exclusion from the original is that Beard advises the addition of a touch of rosewater to the batter if you like the flavor. I do, and it makes for a fascinating loaf.
Finally, there is my mother's recipe for cranberry sauce. Buy a can, open both ends, slide out onto plate and slice into rounds. Hard to top this. The glory of the edges of the cans imprinted on the curvlets of jellied cranberry makes one almost want to weep. Delightful, and always on my Thanksgiving table.
Karen Resta at 9:20AM on 10/24/07
Although I make a fresh, raw cranberry sauce also, Karen's mother's recipe is a tradition on our Thanksgiving table too
NanaJoie at 9:30AM on 10/24/07
i've been making the recipe on the back of the ocean spray bag, the one where you chop sugar, cranberries, and an orange together, for years and years. i've never found anything i like better. i do add a tablespoon of orange flower water or some grand marnier to it.
i make a big batch once in a while and stick small portions in the freezer. it's delicious frozen!
cybercita at 10:14AM on 10/24/07
I'm required by family law to maintain at least one of those cans of cranberry goo, because it's the only kind my sister will eat. Yick.
Anyway, I use fresh cranberries, honey, orange zest, brown sugar, nutmeg, a few whole cloves, and chuck a couple cinnamon sticks in water. Simmer that for a good long bit to thicken it, then let it cool. Even if no one eats it, it makes the house smell good all day.
corycm at 11:06AM on 10/24/07
Mich23---so glad you started this thread! I'm not overly fussy when it comes to cranberry offerings--like most all :) Just save me a generous portion for those cranberry sauce/dressing sandwiches!
JEP at 11:56AM on 10/24/07
Cranberry orange biscotti. Craisins and orange zest in poundcake or muffins for overnight guests during that time of the year.
Cranberries go fabulously with string beans.
I love a madras when I feel tense. http://www.in-the-spirit.co.uk/cocktails/view_cocktail.php?id=169
Cranberry and vodka is just fabulous!!! Vitamins minerals.
JerzeeTomato at 2:17PM on 10/24/07
Love raw cranberries! I usually don't even bother making cranberry sauce or relish as I am the only person who will eat it in my household. altough, as we were having a guest for thanksgiving last year, I made one with cranberries, pears and cinnamon sticks. Yummy! So I save my "shipped from the bog to me" (the bog is 3 houses down from my mother) berries for muffins, scones, and bread.
I love adding dried cranberries to oatmeal and to trail mix.
SayWhat at 2:50PM on 10/24/07
While we're on the topic of cranberries, has anyone ever seen them fresh in a format other than the Ocean Spray bag? It's my first fall in the northeast and I'm really hoping to find them at a farmer's market or some other fresher-than-the-bag locale.
LizNYC at 3:06PM on 10/24/07
Cranberries are probably the best part of Thanksgiving. At our Thanksgiving table, we have both homemade cranberry sauce AND the canned jellied stuff. They both have their merits and I douse my turkey in both :)
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 4:47PM on 10/24/07
My mom made apple butter with cranberries in it. It was wonderful warmed with vanilla ice cream or put atop a slice of cheese cake.
I do like dried cranberries in muffins, cookies and trail mix, but otherwise, I'm not a fan. Although, my mom's homemade cranberry sauce with orange smells great!
misseditor at 6:18PM on 10/24/07
James Beard's cranberry bread, mentioned earlier by Karen, is an integral part of my holidays. Since before I can remember, my parents made it for gifts at Chistmas. Today I make it as a hostess gift for the relatives who host Thanksgiving & Christmas. I usually snack on a few cranberry halves in the bread-making process!
jcwest47 at 12:02AM on 10/25/07
Our neighbors have a "tummy stretcher" party to inaugurate the holiday season. They provide the turkeys, and an eclectic group brings some amazing accompaniments. I will probably contribute a flight of cranberry sauces and relishes. Last year, I brought our family's standard made with currant jelly, orange peel and juice, walnuts, and Grand Marnier---easy on the sugar and best aged. A couple of cans for those celebrating their youth. And two from The Gourmet Cookbook: a spicy relish with raw cranberries, lime juice, red onion, and serrano chile and a compote with shallots and dried sour cherries. Raves all around.
islandexile at 12:09AM on 10/25/07
For all you fans of raw cranberries...This sauce is featured every year on NPR.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=844268
I've never actually made it and find the color somewhat... offputting. I would, however, try it if it was served at a T-Giving dinner :D.
chiff0nade at 10:36AM on 10/25/07
Two favorites: Cranberry crisp. No other fruit. Just cranberries. Crystalized ginger in small dice folded into the topping. Served room temperature w dollop of creme fraiche or plain yogurt mixed w a little sour cream.
Whole-berry cranberry sauce, chilled, swirled into plain yogurt and topped w granola for breakfast. Drizzle in a little ginger syrup if you bought an expensive jar of preserved ginger and are determined not to let any of its contents go to waste. This is how you wait for spring when the same brilliant color clings to the stalks of rhubarb.
Eliz. at 12:38PM on 10/25/07
I follow the Ocean Spray recipe on the bag but throw in two jalapeno peppers, chopped, for a much spicier and more colorful version. I include up to 6 seeds (where a lot of the heat comes from) depending on who we are expecting to join us.
texasdeb at 1:06PM on 10/25/07
I use a bag of cranberries, about half as much water as it calls for, Splenda and whatever liqueur or booze strikes me, including vanilla extract. Port is nice, as is framboise. Someone already mentioned Grand Marnier. Mr. Meatloaf loves cranberries, but will not eat them with dinner, only for dessert. Not that he doesn't eat pie or anything else at that end of a feed, of course, but he's been that way since long before I began feeding him.
And a hearty YES to any other cranberry dish.
lemons at 2:24PM on 10/25/07
In December for gift giving at the holidays, I bake cranberry and pistachio biscotti using dried cranberries. Just recently used frozen ones in muffins with orange zest. I love the contrast of their sourness with the sweetness of whatever else they are combined in.
Kimc54 at 10:37PM on 10/25/07
Pistachios, cranberries, and orange zest are a different version of the holy trinity. Subbing them for other ingredients in any good loaf cake recipe is fabulous, and you could totally do pistachio-crust tartelettes with cranberry-orange filling.
Linzertorte, maybe, with a pureed and strained sweet cranberry filling?
Christina at 12:51AM on 10/26/07
Pastry chef Karen Barker's Orange Glazed Cranberry Pound Cake -it was published in Cottage Living Magazine - you can find it online. And my holiday standby: New England Cranberry Company's products which you can buy online - Cranberry Jalapeno Pepper Jelly, Cranberry Pepper Jelly and Cranberry Onion Pepper Jelly with Roasted Garlic. Decadent spooned over brie, chevre, or used as a glaze on grilled meats. We sold these when I ran a gourmet-to-go shop and couldn't keep them on the shelf. Last year I ordered a case and gave them as Christmas presents.
daintymorsel at 7:08PM on 10/29/07
I'm not a huge fan of cranberry sauce, no matter what it's format (jiggly can or home made). But I LOVE this, which I think came from an old Martha Stewart recipe.
Bag of cranberries, 1 cup of dark amber maple syrup. Bring to boil and cook until berries burst. Use on top of pancakes, especially cornmeal ones. Also great on icecream.
rockykay at 9:23AM on 10/30/07