Cranberries On The Menu

I’m working with Ocean Spray on their #AskCranma Campaign.

I recently attended Ocean Spray’s Cranberry Bog in the middle of Rockefeller Center® last week. I wrote all about the details of my experience here. While at the event, I picked up on some pretty neat recipes using cranberries from their Cranberry Farmer Experts, also known as CranMa’s, for Thanksgiving that I wanted to share with you. Cranberries right now are at the peak of the season, so now is the best time to purchase them. Ocean Spray® Fresh Cranberries and cranberry products are a healthy, delicious addition to Thanksgiving meals, sides and drinks. I’m not hosting Thanksgiving this year, but I am planning to make these side dishes, drinks, and snacks for my family this holiday season!

The Drink- Cassini! From Diane Moss, Cranberry Farmer from Wisconsin – 

2 ounces high end vodka

2 ounces of Ocean Spray®  Cranberry Juice Cocktail

1/2 ounce cassis (black current liquor)

Ocean Spray® Fresh Cranberries (garnish)

Add vodka, cranberry juice, cassis liquor and ice to cocktail shaker. Shake ingredients and strain in to a martini glass. Garnish with fresh cranberries.

The Side Dish! From Sue Gilmore, a Cranberry Farmer in Southern Massachusetts –

1 12 ounce bag of Ocean Spray® Fresh Cranberries

1 medium orange

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Rinse and drain cranberries, slice unpeeled orange into eighths and remove seeds and ring. Place half the cranberries and held the orange in blender or food processor. Process until mixture is evenly chopped. Transfer to glass bowl. Process the remaining cranberries and orange slices. Transfer to glass bowl. Stir in sugar and Grand Marnier and refrigerate until serving.

The Snack! You can use this as a garnish for drinks or just a snack! 

1 12 ounce bad of Ocean Spray® Fresh Cranberries

1 cup of water

1/2 cup cinnamon

1 cup sugar

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and water in a pot and heat until simmering. Stir until sugar is dissolved and let cool for a few minutes until warm (not hot). Pour over cranberries and let sit in fridge, covered, overnight. Use a slotted spoon to remove berries from syrup. Set berries on a cooling rack that is placed over foil to collect drips. Spread berries out so they are not touching each other. Let dry for 1 hour. Roll berries a handful at a time in sugar. Place sugared berries on a baking sheet, or foil, etc. and let dry for an hour or two.

The Dessert! Cranberry Apple Crisp, from the Ocean Spray website! 

5 cups sliced tart apples (about 6 medium apples)

1 1/2 cups Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Pare and core apples. Layer apples and cranberries in pan sprinkling with sugar as you layer. Mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Work in butter until light and crumbly. Sprinkle topping evenly over apples and cranberries. Bake 45 minutes or until apples are tender. Ocean Spray® Fresh Cranberries and products clearly have you covered this holiday season! I would love to hear your favorite recipes for Thanksgiving using cranberries! Leave me a comment below!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Ocean Spray. The opinions and text are all mine.

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