Pickled Cranberries Are Your New Favorite Seasoning
The humble swamp cranberry may be the most underutilized seasonal ingredient of all time. I don’t mean disrespect for cranberry sauce when I say this, but there is much more you can do with these tart little nuggets than boiling them in sugar water until they crumble.
Holiday food tends to be rich, which is probably why cranberries are a traditional dish; nothing cuts fat like a healthy dose of acid. I’ve talked before about my love of cranberry curd and cranberry pie , but I’ve never heard anyone talk about pickled cranberries and it’s a shame. Cranberries, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and a handful of warm spices are blended together to create a distinctly festive, sweet-tart fruit bush with every possible use. Make it obvious and add some turkey, ham, or roast beef at the dinner table – it’s like cranberry sauce, but better – or mix with mayonnaise to make the leftover sandwich even better. Add some neutral oil and spices for a deliciously spicy cranberry vinaigrette, or use syrup in a festive picletini (with one or two cranberries added , of course, instead of traditional olives). To be honest, I tend to make a batch just to add to the red cabbage stew. The possibilities are truly endless.
If you’ve never thought of pickling cranberries, make it a year when you try – I don’t think you’ll regret it.
Pickled cranberries | Saveur