A Bag of Squishy Cranberries

[mudbug]

I must have taken them out of the freezer around Christmastime and forgot about them in the fridge. So, they're a little squishy, but not rotten-squishy, if you know what I mean.

What do you guys think I should do with them? Make one of those jello things? Or do you have a more interesting idea?

 

[mish]

Yummy, cranberries. How about:

Mix them in with cream cheese as a spread on crackers or as a dip

Cranberry Chicken or Ribs - Put them in a slow cooker or bake

Cranberry muffins/bread

Cranberry Vodka/shooters?

Add to a turkey/chicken salad, greens (spinach), shrooms, red onions, croutons

Cranberry Pork Roast

Topping for waffles, pancakes, french toast

Cranberry turkey/chicken roll ups in tortillas with Russian dressing

Cranberry meatloaf topping - or mix them in with ground beef for a meat or turkey loaf

Pour them in ice cube trays w some Sprite

 

[licia]

They all sound good to me!

 

[mudbug]

thanks loads, mish. you've given me some great ideas. I've done the bread to death, so I'm thinking either the crockpot with some chicken (what else in it?) or the dip or as a topping for those potato latke waffles that you gave me the recipe for.

 

[Michelemarie]

i have a porkroast recipe for the crock with cranberries - i suppose you can use chicken too - very easy - 1/2 c chicken broth, 1/4 c cranberry juice, cranberries, orange zest - after meat is done, heat juices stovetop with 1/4 c cranberry juice mixed with cornstarch - very tasty, a family favorite.

my favorite suggestion so far: vodka cranberry shooters!

 

[mish]

What a cool idea, mud... a topping for potato pancakes. Thank you.

Haven't tried this yet, but maybe add some dry onion/mushroom soup mix, garlic powder, sliced green peppers, sliced onions, maybe chunks o pineapple at the end and serve the sauce over rice. I have seen some recipes w cranberry sauce, onion soup (dry) and Russian dressing in a crockpot. Not sure what the taste would be like. Whatever you got around da house. Or, just thought of, cranberry chicken wings or meatballs. (Mental note to self - buy cranberries - squishy or not ) Thanks Mud, for giving me some ideas too.

Edited to add: How about stirring em into some vanilla ice cream?

 

[mish]

my favorite suggestion so far: vodka cranberry shooters!

I can see, the two Michel(l)e's here think alike. BTW, saving that pork recipe. Thank you.

 

[mudbug]

Well, you know vanilla ice cream is one of my favorite platforms for other stuff - think I'd have to grind the berries up w/some sugar first, tho.

I was thinking the chicken (thx for other ingredients) over rice too. MM - yours sounds pretty tasty too.

I'm a-hankerin' after those waffles, tho. Might have to try that first........... Maybe as a side for the chicken?

 

[mish]

Well, you know vanilla ice cream is one of my favorite platforms for other stuff - think I'd have to grind the berries up w/some sugar first, tho.

I was thinking the chicken (thx for other ingredients) over rice too. MM - yours sounds pretty tasty too.

I'm a-hankerin' after those waffles, tho. Might have to try that first........... Maybe as a side for the chicken?

Me too, Mud. You just reminded me... think I've heard of chicken waffles...maybe with some cranberries? - or waffles, ice cream & cranberries, or have I gone to the well once too often?

 

[mudbug]

LOL!

I'm pretty sure Goodweed posted some savory waffles recipes - might have included chicken in them, but would hafta go search.

and then there's the dip thing...........

 

[mish]

Wanted to post a link & pic to the potato pancake waffles.

http://content2.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/recipedetail.cfm?objectid=F9F6EDDB-0064-4590-AF9FB1FABAA803CC

Cranberry Holiday Dip Thing​

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

8 oz cream cheese (softened) zest 1 orange 2 tbsp orange juice concentrate 1 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 c. chopped dried cranberries 1/4 c. chopped pecans​

Blend 1st five ingredients w/mixer until well mixed and "fluffy". Stir in cranberries and pecans. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Serve with crackers, bagels etc. Can be rolled into a log or ball and coated with additional chopped pecans before refrigerating for more decorative serving.


Hmmm, I might pour this over the chicken w/o the sugar. Ya think?

 

[urmaniac13]

Not too sweet cranberry comport will be delicious for swedish meatballs, roasted turkey or pork chops!!

 

[Andy M.]

I hate to be a wet blanket but squishy cranberries should be tossed. If they aren't hard enough to bounce, they are too soft to eat.

 

[buckytom]

not necessarily true andy, imo.
i buy bags of cranberries just to let them get a little squishy, or in other words, overripe. my birds won't eat them when they're firm, so i let them go for a coupla weeks, then they love 'em.
some berries do rot, and they have to be chucked, but i tasted a few of the soft but still whole ones, and they were edible, so i've added some sugar, water, and zest and made cranberry sauce. i also put them in stuffing inside a pork loin roast, and it worked out well. i may try dehydrating some into craisins, to see if that works.

 

[mudbug]

I'm goin' for it and using them, in spite of Andy's caution. Will let ya'll know what happens.

 

[mudbug]

OK, so here's what I did (I'm tellin' about it whether you are interested or not):

Picked thru the rinsed crans and tossed a few wrinkly blackish ones. Most of them were still bright red, although squishy.

Put two very thick, salt-and-peppered boneless pork chops in the bottom of the crockpot, threw in the cranberries, threw in a can of pineapple rings with their juice, and about a cup of unthawed, chopped green pepper that I conveniently had in the freezer. Also threw in a packet of dry onion soup mix. Set the whole thing on high about 3 hours ago.

Just checked on it, and it's starting to smell pretty good. Added about a coffee cup of water just to make sure I had enough juice going.

Around 6 pm or so, I plan on checking it again. If the meat seems tender, I'm gonna take it out,keep it warm, and reduce the liquid/fruit/peppers in a saucepan to thicken it up, adding a little cornstarch slurry if necessary.

Also making those potato latke waffles mish so kindly provided the recipe for. Had to go out and buy a ricer ($6.99 at Target) and loved the texture it created in the boiled taters. Too late now, but I wish I had added some garlic powder to those.

 

[mudbug]

The finale:

First, I did not poison us. The crans and other stuff gave a nice flavor to the pork chops, which fell apart into shreds in the crock. It pretty much all turned to goosh (but tasty goosh). Lower heat, less cooking time next go-round, I think.

The tater waffles were also good, but bland, as HH noted as well. Maybe we have a cheap waffle maker, but it took much longer to cook those puppies than regular waffles. Still, a good idea, and one I will refine in the future.

All in all, a not-unsuccessful adventure in the annals of cooking. I am still learning.........

 

[Michelemarie]

my pork sometimes falls apart in the crock too - but like you said, a tasty goosh. glad you enjoyed dinner - it sounded good to me. we went to applebees and i had a burger and fries - yours sounded better.

 

[b94new]

cranberry heaven

i just recently threw them in my slow cooker for my steel cut oatmeal recipe

 

[mudbug]

Bienvenue, b94new. I love your idea. Cranberries and oatmeal play so nicely
together.