What is it?

Cranberries are the fruit of a low, trailing, evergreen vine. These slender vines flower in late summer and produce their distinctively tart, deep red berries in early fall.

How to store:

Cranberries have a short season, but fortunately, they keep well, so it’s easy to stock up. You can store fresh cranberries in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer for up to four weeks, but you can also freeze them for up to a year. They can be frozen in their original packaging, or you can wash, dry, and pick through the berries first (discard any dark, mushy ones) and then transfer them to a heavy-duty freezer bag.

Use frozen cranberries like fresh cranberries in recipes. There’s no need to thaw the berries—just put them in a colander, rinse in cold water, pat dry with a towel, and use—but you may need to increase cooking time slightly.

Recipes

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  Rosemary and Lime Cranberry Sauce

  Fresh cranberry sauce is always a good thing to bring to a Thanksgiving table, especially if you know the only other option will be canned. Bonus: You can make it…

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  Cranberry Oatmeal Bars

  With a ribbon of tangy cranberry between layers of hearty oats, these bars are a great treat any time of the day, including breakfast.

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  Cranberry Fool Chocolate Tart

  A swirl of tart cranberries and tangy whipped cream nestles perfectly into a buttery crumb crust for a dessert that’s casual enough for weeknights but fancy enough for a holiday.…

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  Cranberry Ice with Prosecco

  Delicious on its own, this ice is magical as an element of a drink or a creamy dessert. Dollop a bit onto a cup of rice pudding or panna cotta.…

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  Cranberry Jellies

  Purply-red, a little tart, and a little sweet, these pretty bite-size candies are a great homemade gift during the holiday season. See our test kitchen tip, below, about working with…

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  Cranberry Streusel Muffins

  Sweet, crumbly streusel balances bursts of tartness from the cranberries in these tender sour-cream muffins. They're shown here with Marcona Almond Streusel, but you can use Cocoa Cardamom Streusel or…

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  Endive and Radicchio Salad with Hazelnuts and Gorgonzola

  Bitter endive and radicchio are beautifully balanced by pungent gorgonzola nad sweet-tart cranberries in this quick and easy side dish. Serve with braised beef or seared steak.

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  Satsuma Cranberry Sauce

  Fragrant satsumas add bright, juicy, floral sweetness to tart cranberries. If you’re a Negroni lover, you’ll enjoy the flavor of Campari with the citrus, but if you don’t drink it,…

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  Swedish Meatballs with Cranberry Relish

  This version of the iconic Swedish dish incorporates milk-soaked bread to make the meatballs super tender. The traditional accompaniment, lingonberry jam, is tough to find in the U.S., so a…

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  Recipe

  Bourbon-Mint Cranberry Sauce

  Traditional cranberry sauce gets a mint julep makeover, plus toasty hazelnuts for crunch. Be sure to use fresh nuts; a bad batch can throw off the flavor.