Common Cuisine |

Did you know? Cranberries, blueberries and Concord grapes are the only three fruits native to North America! Cranberries got their name from their appearance. In the spring the vines flower, and the pink petals bear a resemblance to the head and bill of a crane. Originally called “crane berries”, the name was eventually shortened to cranberry.

A ½ cup serving of fresh, raw cranberries has about 23 calories and 2 grams of fiber. It contains a good amount of Vitamin A and potassium. And who eats cranberries raw? But once they are dried, they lose almost all their vitamins A and C content. That probably happens when they are cooked and jellied, too, unfortunately. This does reinforce my intention to serve fresh cranberry salsa this year for Thanksgiving, though.

Cranberries are a seasonal fruit, so if you think you might want to use fresh cranberries in any recipes this winter, buy them now and throw them in the freezer because in a couple of weeks they will be gone for another year. You can use cranberries frozen this way just like you would fresh ones.

For some ideas on what to do with cranberries, check out some of our cranberry recipes.