Ten on Tuesday

When I was growing up I spent years and years in, on and around cranberry bogs.  We camped around them, we picked weeds on them and we got in them at the end of the season when it was time to cultivate the crop. As Carole said, nature offers us a special sight at cranberry harvest.  The flooded bogs that have been worked are beautiful, the raw berries shiny and crisp and the culinary delights that follow…abundant!  I have two Makepeace cranberry boxes that came into my hands when I was in college.  (Not really saying how…) They’ve held books and stereos and lots of other treasures.  They reside in the dining room now holding cookbooks and knitting books and patterns.  They are truly two of my prized possessions. I’m not sure I can offer much that hasn’t already been said by others but here’s a go at Top 10 Ways to Use Fresh Cranberries.

1.    Fresh Cranberry Sauce.  DRD’s Grandmother always made it and the tradition is carried on by his Aunt currently.  It’s a soupy texture and it keeps for a month.  I wonder what the heck is in there???

2.    Cranberry bread.  Delish.

3.    Orange Cranberry muffins.  My favorite.

4.    Stringing popcorn and cranberries.  I’ve only done it a couple of times but it looks great.

5.    If you’re a kid – throw them at your siblings when they’re not looking. 

6.    I’ve read this several times this morning – fill glass jars, bowls or what have you, with fresh berries. I’m going to do this – I imagine it will be very pretty for the holiday!

7.     Make a cranberry crisp.

8.  Make a cranberry punch and float some berries on the top.  I think you could even make a pretty little cranberry ice ring to float around the top!

9.  There must be a way to dehydrate them and then use them like craisins??

10. That's all I've got!  But thanks to Carole and friends we've got some excellent ideas!