Clean Eating Cranberry Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest way to eat cranberries? ›

There are lots of ways to add this fruit to your diet. Some varieties, such as dried cranberries, cranberry juice, and canned cranberry sauce, are available year-round. The healthiest way to enjoy cranberries is to eat them fresh. Raw cranberries take about 16 months to fully mature and are gathered in early fall.

Health Benefits

Cranberries are also rich in vitamin C and fiber, as well as the metabolism-boosting mineral manganese. And yes, you reap all these benefits whether the cranberry sauce on your holiday table is homemade or canned, jellied or whole-berry.

Homemade cranberry sauce will last in the fridge for 10 to 14 days. Canned cranberry sauce that has been opened will last up to a week in the fridge. We hear you: After a long day of cooking, hosting, and celebrating, something's bound to get overlooked.

It's perfectly fine to serve up cranberry sauce — whole berry or jelled — straight out of the can. But in my experience, heating the canned sauce up takes its flavor to the next level. Plus, it becomes a little more aesthetically pleasing.

Is it safe to eat cranberries raw? Cranberries are generally considered safe whether they are cooked or raw. However, because of their notoriously bitter, sharp taste, most people prefer not to eat them raw or unsweetened. This bitterness is due to the high tannin content of cranberries.

The cranberry is also a contender when it comes to antioxidant content. While wild blueberries outperform them when it comes to measuring both antioxidant capacity and cellular antioxidant activity, cranberries pack their own health punch.

In fact, a long-term study by the American Chemical Society found the antioxidants in cranberries also appeared to help raise HDL "good" cholesterol as well. The fiber and antioxidants found in cranberry sauce can also mean a stronger ticker.

Cranberry sauce contains plenty of antioxidants that will help fight off free radicals that try to harm the body. Having regular servings of the stuff, not just on Thanksgiving, can help fight heart disease and worse.

Safety and Side Effects

Cranberries and cranberry products are usually safe for most people if consumed in moderation. However, excessive consumption may cause stomach upset and diarrhea — and may also increase the risk of kidney stones in predisposed individuals.

Can I freeze whole cranberry sauce? ›

Homemade cranberry sauce keeps wonderfully in the freezer for up to three months. Pour your cooled cranberry sauce into freezer-friendly zip-top plastic bags, and remove as much air as possible from the bag before sealing.

Most varieties should last a full year if the can remains dent-free, but keep an eye on that "best before" date to be safe. If you open the can and the sauce appears discolored, or the smell or taste seems off, go ahead and toss it.

According to Ocean Spray, that's intentional: It creates a seamless serving experience. The cans are “filled and labeled upside down with the rounded edge on top and the sharp can-like edge on the bottom to keep the jelly whole,” an Ocean Spray spokesperson told CNN Business.

While there are some editors who prefer homemade cranberry sauce, the canned variety also has quite a following. "There's something so beautifully perfect about the texture of canned cranberry sauce, and none of those homemade mess will ever compete," says Senior Digital Food Editor Kimberly Holland.

According to Wick, the tart fruit became popularly used to create cranberry sauce for turkey and other types of meat in the late 17th century. Within a hundred more years, cranberry sauce became a staple dish in the U.S., with its popularity taking off even more throughout the 19th century.

Rich with antioxidants and high in fibre, cranberries have serious health benefits including promoting digestion and helping control blood sugar. But before you load up on extra cranberry sauce over Thanksgiving, it's important to note that raw cranberries are the most nutritious variation of the fruit.

Well, that's actually pretty easy. Wash and thinly chop a few fresh, raw cranberries as a garnish for a salad or a stir-in for your morning oatmeal. This use of the unsweetened, raw cranberry highlights its unique flavor profile without it becoming overkill.

A 2011 study found that chemicals in cranberries promoted better antioxidant activity the lower their pH was. That study also found that the berries were significantly more potent antioxidants than cranberry juice, although cranberry juice still offered some benefits.

Both forms of cranberries will offer you the same nutritional benefits and medicinal value. However, dried ones are high in carbs, calories, and sugar than fresh ones, but they still contain most of the essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in fresh ones.