Cranberries Are a Bargain

One thin dime won't buy much these days, but it will buy you a bag of cranberries. While shopping at Aldi Friday afternoon, I picked up a couple of bags of Ocean Spray fresh cranberries for 10 cents apiece. They had plenty on display, and according to the store clerk, the warehouse had overstock from the holidays and shipped them to all the stores.

I like cranberries, although I usually buy Craisins, the dried sweetened berries, to use in baked goods and to mix in with my homemade granola. Each November, I buy bags of fresh cranberries to make cranberry relish or cranberry jelly for Thanksgiving. If you love to bake, then you know that the orange-cranberry loaf recipe on the back of the Ocean Spray bag is a winner.

I could put today's cranberry windfall in the freezer, and just let them thaw before using. If I were entertaining this weekend, I'd go back for a few more bags and make the clever cranberry candle floats on the Ocean Spray website. My plan, though, is to make cranberry sorbet, because it sounds just like what I want to eat. Here's my recipe for cranberry-apple jelly, a holiday favorite.

Fresh Cranberry and Apple Jelly

1 cup sugar
1 cup apple juice
1 12-ounce package Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries

1. Combine sugar and apple juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil and add cranberries; return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool to room temperature. Store in refrigerator until serving time. Makes 2 1/4 cups.

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