A Collage of 9 Cranberry Recipes

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     You may or may not love cranberry sauce, and for years, that is all I ever associated cranberries with, either jellied sauce or cranberry juice.  But, I have discovered a world of Cranberry Bliss in the past year or so , so I thought I would do a round-up of some favorite recipes for you! 

Why are Cranberries Associated with the Holiday?

     There are a few reasons that cranberries are associated with the holidays.  Cranberries, the way they are grown and harvested, are actually a pretty fascinating fruit!  I won't tell you all of the details, but you can easily find info about them online, and if you are a homeschooler, they could make an interesting science lesson for the holiday season!   
      But, to answer the main question, here are a few facts about what makes cranberries a favorite holiday fruit:

• Cranberries are native to North America!  
• Cranberries have air pockets that allow them to float when growers harvest them from bogs.  This also allows them to bounce on hard surfaces, indicating ripeness.
• Cranberries are ripe right around the time of Thanksgiving, which makes them a perfect  dish for that holiday time.  
• In what is considered the first American Cookbook,  published by Amelia Simmons in 1796, there is a recipe describing a type of Cranberry Sauce.  
• The bright red color is of course indicative of the holidays! 
• Cranberries can be used in many sweet and savory ways, adding to the abundant food of the holidays. 

Recipes For You To Check Out!

Of Course, I had to start with this delicious Cranberry Sauce that you can eat, freeze or can!  This recipe changed my mind about if I liked cranberry sauce or not! 

If your tastes lean more to a little spice rather than sweet, try this Cranberry Salsa!  You can heat it up more with hotter peppers if you like. 

Cranberry Orange Marmalade is another great way to be able to eat cranberries all year long!  Terrific on biscuits or English muffins! 

Making Cranberry Juice is so easy and the results are fantastic! 

You can also make juice blends in your instant pot.  I've made Cran-Blackberry and Cran-Cherry. YUM!  Don't miss the cute ways to frost the glasses and berries as well! 

Cranberry Lime Bars are a beautiful and delicious twist on a lemon bar.  So good! 

Cranberry Orange Jewel Mini Muffins are a sweet, tart treat to pop in your mouth anytime of the year! They are so pretty on a buffet table. 

This Cranberry Star Bread is such a beautiful thing to add to your holiday breakfast table!  It was a simple thing to let my bread machine do the work on this one! 

Last but not least, Cranberry Fudge done 2 ways!  Fudge is for Christmas, and so are cranberries!  

     Do you have any cranberry recipes that you think I should try?  Pleas drop them in the comments!  If you try any of these, let me know what you think! 

Want to find out more about cranberries? Check out these links:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/the-botany-behind-why-cranberries-became-a-thanksgiving-staple

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/why_do_we_eat_cranberries_at_thanksgiving

https://www.denverpost.com/2023/11/14/heres-why-cranberries-are-more-than-just-a-thanksgiving-side-dish/​