Cranberries Aren’t Just for Christmas
This time each year that the cranberry recipes come rolling out; cranberry sauce, cranberry stuffing, even a Christmassy cranberry soup, but come January 1 — no more cranberries. And that, my fit friends, is a travesty.
It’s true that fresh cranberries can only be found from mid-October to December, but that doesn’t mean we should stop eating them once the holiday season is over. Those tart little berries are a storehouse of good stuff like Vitamin C, antioxidants, phytonutrients and especially proanthocyanidins (PACs). PACs are prevalent in many plant-based foods, but only a few select foods contain a specific type of PAC known as type A (the ones which help prevent those dreaded urinary tract infections), and cranberries rank the highest on the list.
For year-round cranberry goodness, stock up now — sort, rinse, and place in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze. Once they’re frozen, pop them in a freezer safe bag and store for later. When the mood strikes, you’ll have cranberries at your disposal.
When baking with cranberries it is not necessary to thaw those little buggers. Simply toss with a bit of flour (so they don’t sink) and add to your batter at the end. Cranberries will keep for a year in the freezer
Cranberries do more than ward off UTIs; their anti-inflammatory properties also help to lower the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and gum disease. Here are a few easy ways to add cranberries to your diet.
Cranberry Maple Syrup: Mix ¾ cup cranberries with one cup of maple syrup; simmer over low heat until berries pop.
Cran-Orange-Carrot Juice: Stay healthy this cold season and super charge your morning juice with the addition of ¼ cup puréed cranberries and one pureed carrot.
Cranberry Smoothie: Tame the sweetness of your banana protein smoothie with the addition of 1/3 cup frozen cranberries.
Cranberry Vinaigrette: Combine 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1/3 cup olive oil, ¼ cup cranberries, 1 tablespoon Dijon, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon each minced garlic, salt and pepper; process until smooth.
Cranberry Vodka: Cranberries love to party, make a fresh cranberry cosmo or mix up a batch of cranberry infused vodka.
Looking for more fresh cranberry recipes? Click here for 10 more tasty ideas! —Karen