LAKEVILLE-MIDDLEBORO, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--No other autumn fruit adds sass to sides and pizzazz to pies like the exceptional cranberry. This Thanksgiving, the cranberry experts at Ocean Spray are helping holiday hosts and hostesses take guests on a flavor “full” adventure by showing them how to incorporate the seasonal fruit into starters, sides, brines and pies.
Let’s talk turkey. Did you know cranberry can elevate every part of your Thanksgiving feast? Try these tips to tantalize guests with tender turkey, tart toppers or tasty pies:
- Brines – Naturally low in sugar, cranberries provide the perfect base for brining. While citrus is the common kitchen cohort, culinary maestros know cranberry brine can be a seriously seasonal complement to any meat – pork, chicken and especially, turkey. Give your guests something to be thankful for by showcasing a succulent White Cranberry Brined Turkey.
- Bread – From classic fruit loaves to decadent dinner rolls, cranberry can be the perfect component for any course. This year, think outside the “bread” box and start the meal with a sweet and savory Rosemary Hazelnut Cranberry Bread.
- Sauce – When it comes to glazes or sauce, a cranberry base can’t be beat. Need a simple twist for a topper? Spice things up with a little Fiesta Flair, or make guests swoon with Succulent Sweet & Sour or traditional Homemade Whole Berry Sauce.
- Sweets – Finish off the meal with a flourish! Ditch the traditional pie plate and instead, treat guests to a trendier take on dessert, Pumpkin Mousse Trifle with Cranberries and Apricot-Orange Sauce, or kick-up a classic with Apple Pie a la Zing.
“Cranberries are an exceptional autumn fruit,” said Larry Martin, vice president of global marketing at Ocean Spray. “Their big, bold taste, endless versatility and healthy halo make them the perfect addition to any meal, especially at Thanksgiving.”
Thanksgiving by the Numbers
Keep guests’ minds moving and grooving with a little festive fodder between second, thirds, and fourths!
- 80 million – Pounds of cranberries Americans will consume this Thanksgiving
- 5 million – Gallons of jellied cranberry sauce consumed every holiday season
- 120,000 – Questions the Ocean Spray Consumer Helpline answers each year
- 1930 – Year Ocean Spray introduced its first product – jellied cranberry sauce
- 800 – Cranberry recipes courtesy of the Ocean Spray Test Kitchen
- 600 – Cranberries needed to fill a 64-oz. bottle of Cranberry Juice Cocktail
- 74 – Percent of Americans who serve store-bought cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving
- 38 – Percent less likely to develop a urinary tract infection when cranberry juice is regularly consumed
For more fun facts, recipes, or last-minute entertaining tips, visit Ocean Spray’s Plan-It guide, Consumer Hotline and Kitchen.
Want to hear what the cranberry experts are cooking up this holiday season? Visit Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. While you’re there, see what the beloved growers from Ocean Spray’s TV ads are up to in this new online video.
About Ocean Spray
Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative owned by more than 700 cranberry growers in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and other parts of Canada as well as 35 Florida grapefruit growers. Ocean Spray was formed over 80 years ago by three cranberry growers from Massachusetts and New Jersey. Florida grapefruit growers joined the Cooperative in 1976. Ocean Spray is North America's leading producer of bottled juices and juice drinks, and has been the best-selling brand name in the bottled juice category since 1981. Ocean Spray posted fiscal 2011 gross sales of $2.1 billion and net proceeds of $321 million.