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Cranberries are most commonly known for their ability to prevent urinary tract infections as they make it difficult for bacteria to stick to your mouth, stomach, and urinary tract. They also contain Vitamin A (great for eye sight), Vitamin C (immune power), and Vitamin K (good for the blood) as well as antioxidants which are suggested to be healthy for the heart and immune system and could possibly reduce the risk of cancer.
Cranberries are often consumed in fruit juices, sauces and jellies, as well as used in many desserts, cereals, breads, and scones. Dried cranberries are often used in trail mixes, but some of the vitamins are reduced in the drying process, especially if sugars are added for taste. The bulk of cranberry related sales are more attributed to the sauces and juices than the actual fruit; however, if you are trying to buy or use cranberries, you want them to be red, plump, and they should bounce. If you are drinking cranberry juice to help prevent urinary tract infections, you will want to find a juice that doesn’t use sucralose (Splenda) because that feeds the bacteria that cause UTIs.
Here are some other uses for cranberries…
Add to your salad – house salad, chicken salad, potato salad – and your vegetable sides like green beans, corn, spinach, squash…
Mix it in wild rice
You can mix it with fruit in pies like a Cranberry Apple Pie as well as gelatin molds like Cranberry Pineapple
Cheesecake, pancakes, and waffles (either as a topping or mixed in)
Ice cream topping
Salsas (such as cranberry, pineapple, cilantro, green pepper, jalapeno pepper, and onion)
Decorations to dishes and cakes
Wet down the berry (with water or orange juice) and coat with sugar
The best advice on the net: Add cranberries to your favorite recipe
