Any body else LOVE cranberries as much as I do?
 

I absolutely LOVE cranberries. Every year around this time I make up a big batch and can just eat them with nothing else (who needs turkey??) This year I decided to experiment and make them with Splenda instead of sugar. While they are not nearly as sweet, I really enjoyed them. Even if I ate a whole bag at one time (which I don't!) it would only be 180 calories. I read where cranberries are one of the most anti-oxidant filled foods.
Has anyone else tried them cooked with Splenda?

LOve love love love cranberries. I haven't cooked them with Splenda, but I like them tart anyway ... so I tend to cut way back on the sugar or mix in fresh fruit and fruit juice to bump the sweetness naturally.

My favorite recipe is actually really simple:

1 bag cranberries, picked over and rinsed
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 T cinnamon
1/8 cup finely chopped ginger

Simmer over medium heat until cranberries begin to pop. Cool and pour into jars.

Yummy stuff.

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PC - do you use fresh or crystallized ginger?

I love cranberries...unfortunately my family hates them. It doesn't stop me from putting them in everything during this time of year, though.

I just made a fresh cranberry and apple "relish" - it has such a different flavor compared to my cooked cranberry sauce.

I use fresh ... because I never remember to buy crystallized. :)

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PC: How long does your cranberry recipe keep in the fridge? Does it freeze well? It sounds really good, but I'm the only one around here that would eat it, and I'd only be eating it in small quantities at a time, so I need it to keep for a while.

Well ... I haven't actually had a chance to test out how long it lasts because it's usually gone by the end of the weekend. :)

You could can it in a hot water bath and it'll keep over a year (I've made batches specifically for canning and kept them that long).

I would imagine you could probably keep it in the fridge for at least 2-3 weeks, if not longer.

I've never frozen it, but I would suspect it would freeze just fine. There's not really anything in it that would get mushy or weird.

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For those using Splenda- what proportions and cooking methods did you use?

The same amount as sugar....I used 1 cup of Splenda, 1 cup of water, and 1 bag of fresh cranberries. I boiled them for a couple minutes until they popped and let them cool. Put them in the fridge and voila!

So yummy...next time I will add mandarin oranges and maybe some crushed pineapple.

YES -- Love, love, love cranberries! I also cook them with splenda, only I use liquid sucralose instead of actual Splenda brand, so it truly adds no calories. (I buy the ez-sweetz version online). I use 1 to 1.5 cup of sugar equivalent, 1 cup water and 1 bag of cranberries. Cook until boiling and simmer for 10 more minutes or so. It doesn't gel as much as it would with sugar, but I don't care.

I eat it with meats, I put it in my oatmeal, and into yogurt. I add fresh cranberries to my oatmeal and into my flaxseed muffins. I've never added ginger, what a great idea!

I've never tried freezing the sauce, because I use it up before it goes bad. I've had it keep just fine for at least a couple of weeks. But, I'm sure you could freeze it with no problem. And, you can also freeze fresh cranberries for up to a year, I believe. Just pop the whole bag in the freezer. Stock up now!!

I always freeze my cranberries right in the bag from the store. They freeze individually very well. When they are in season I buy as many as I can and when I am ready to make my sauce(with splenda) I just take out about two cups. Recently I have been putting my sauce in cottage cheese, delicious and sometimes when I make scones for my family and they put on jam I use the sauce. Treat it just like jam.
sophie

I absolutely love cranberries, and I too am about the only one who eats them.
For Thanksgiving I made one bag berries, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar and then added 1 chopped orane and 1 8-ish?oz can of Geisha Tropical fruit in light syrup.
It was very good, but too sweet. Loverly tropical taste!

I'd like to try it with splenda next time!

I made a PHENOMENAL cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. With chopped dates and raisins and a bit of vanilla. Really, REALLY good.