It’s not a secret that berries are really good for us, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, are all packed with fiber, antioxidants and many other super nutrients.  Often overlooked until Holiday season are cranberries, nope they aren’t just for cranberry sauce and stringing garland!!

Cranberries are actually ranked the highest when it comes to antioxidant content, and are also lower in sugar, thus the tart taste.  

Cranberries are many times prescribed for urinary tract infections; their strong antioxidants reduce the ability for bacteria to stick to the walls of the urinary track.  One cup of cranberries contain about 5.3 grams of fiber, making it especially great for overall digestion.  

If you feel the sniffles coming on, you might reach for a glass of orange juice, but cranberries are equally as loaded up on vitamin C, and maybe even a little more.  So, grab a glass of juice!!  

Here are some great ways to incorporate cranberries into your weekly menu, Holiday or not!!

Enjoy! Some of these are the recipes I shared at the Lenoir County Farmers Market Super Saturday Celebration!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

3 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries 

1 cup fresh orange juice (from 2 large oranges)

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

Stir together cranberries, sugar, juice, salt, and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan. (Reserve pecans.) Bring to a boil over high; boil, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring often, until most of the cranberries have burst and liquid is syrupy, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove and discard cinnamon stick.

Stir in pecans. Transfer mixture to a heatproof bowl.

Let stand 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 1 week.

Cranberry Salsa over Cream Cheese

12 ounces cranberries

1/4 cup sliced green onions

2 jalapeños minced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves minced

2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Rinse, drain, and pick over cranberries, (discarding all that are soft or bruised). Place cranberries in a food processor or blender; pulse until finely chopped but not mushy.

Place crushed cranberries in a bowl; mix together with green onions, jalapeños, cilantro leaves, and ginger. Pour lemon juice and sugar over and stir together.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate and allow flavors to develop. It will be a bit tart to begin with, but as it is allowed to sit it will develop even more flavor.

Holiday Cranberry Butter

This easy to make flavored butter tastes great on toast, muffins, buns or anything you would put butter or jam on.  I know you will love it when you taste it.  It even smells heavenly and makes a great gift.

1 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons orange zest

1/8 teaspoon salt

Blend the ingredients one at a time, in order given.  Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or part of it can be frozen and thawed for later use.  

Cranberry Mulled Cider

3 cups apple cider

1 ½ cups unsweetened cranberry juice

2 tablespoons agave nectar, or more to taste

2 cinnamon sticks

1 orange, thinly sliced

1 lime, thinly sliced

½ cup dried cranberries

Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot, including the dried cranberries if using.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Taste for sweetness, adding more agave if desired.  Remove the cinnamon stick with a slotted spoon before serving.  Serve warm.  

Cranberry Brie Sheet Pan Biscuits

Nonstick cooking spray, for the pan 

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (see Cook’s Note)  

4 teaspoons baking powder  

2 teaspoons sugar  

3/4 teaspoon baking soda  

2 1/2 teaspoons fine salt  

2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for serving  

1 1/2 cups buttermilk, plus more for brushing  

8 ounces Brie, cut into small pieces  

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped  

1 cup dried cranberries  

1/4 cup finely chopped chives  

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped  

1/4 cup local honey  

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray. 

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and 2 teaspoons of the salt in a large bowl. Rub 4 tablespoons of the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until completely absorbed. Work the remaining 16 tablespoons butter into the flour mixture until pea-sized bits of butter remain. Use a fork to stir in the buttermilk until the mixture comes together into a shaggy dough. (Don’t overmix the dough.)  

Add the Brie, parsley, cranberries, chives and thyme to the bowl and gently mix with lightly floured hands, folding the dough over itself (this is where the flaky layers will form) until the ingredients are just combined.   

Turn the dough out onto the prepared sheet pan and use lightly floured hands to evenly distribute the dough into the pan. Using a paring knife, gently score 24 squares on top of the dough, making sure the knife does not cut through to the bottom of the biscuit. (If baking the biscuits, the following day, cover gently with plastic wrap at this point and refrigerate up to 24 hours.)  

Brush the top of the dough with more buttermilk. Bake until the biscuit top is lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then use a paring knife to follow the score marks to cut through the biscuits.