When it comes to the holidays, a couple of things make me feel like it’s the season.
One is getting together with family and friends. Two is having fun together after all the presents are opened, and three is the smell of freshly baked orange cranberry bread from the kitchen.
This has been a family tradition for over a decade and is still a party pleaser today.
Cranberries
Cranberries are a small, tart, red berry that grows in an acidic bog or marsh.
They are usually found around Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Cranberries are used in juice, sauce, or jams. You can find them fresh or dried.
They are very high in vitamins C, E, and K, as well as dietary fiber.
| Disclosure: Please note this post may contain affiliate links. There is no additional cost to you – we earn a commission if you purchase using our links. We only link to products and companies we use and recommend.
The uses of cranberries
Fresh cranberries are used in cooking and baking, especially during the holiday season.
They add a tart flavor to any sauces, relishes, and desserts.
A lot of people buy dried cranberries for snacks, salads, cereals, and trail mixes.
Cranberry juice is a great tart juice that is a great drink but also has some potential health benefits, like promoting a healthy urinary tract.
It is believed to prevent urinary tract infections by preventing bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract walls.
Cranberry juice is also a great addition to lots of different cocktails or mocktails.
Harvesting cranberries
These little berries are typically harvested in the fall.
Cranberries are harvested by flooding the fields and using special equipment to agitate the water. This causes the berries to become detached from the vines and float to the surface, ready to be scooped up.
Most of the cranberries in America come from Wisconsin and Massachusetts. They are also grown in Canada and Chile.
Some areas that do a lot of cranberry farming celebrate the harvest with cranberry festivals. This place allows locals and visitors to enjoy cranberry-related activities, foods, and events.
The recipe for Orange Cranberry Bread
The recipe below is such an easy one to make, especially around the holidays.
Just mix the dry ingredients and then the wet ingredients. Blend the two together and bake. How easy is that?
I have made them at home in my regular oven and also on the road when we are camping. I don’t have an oven in our camper van, so I use an Omnia Stovetop Oven. It works great!
Paul loves the way the house smells when it is baking.
We usually make enough for our family and friends, then wrap them in aluminum foil and add a pretty bow for a holiday gift from our house to theirs.
Cranberry Orange Bread
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 power mixer
- 1 standard oven or stovetop oven
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup sugar alternative sweetener can be used
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tsp orange zest freshly grated
- 3 Tbsp orange juice fresh is best
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1/3 cup flour to coat the cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- line a 9"X5" baking pan or lightly grease with butter and dust with flour
- In a medium bowl, mix the baking powder, flour, and salt.
- In the large bowl, blend the melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, orange zest and orange juice. Mix until all combined.
- While the wet ingredients are mixing slowly add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk
- Finish adding the flour and the milk and blend just until smooth.
- Coat the cranberries with the extra flour and add to the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55-65 minutes.
Nibbler Tip: Rinse the cranberries in water before rolling them in flour to make it easier to have the flour stick. The reason for rolling them in flour is to make it so they don’t sink to the bottom of the batter while baking.
Finally
Cranberry Orange Bread is a great way to start your holiday morning with a slice and a cup of coffee.
Our problem is that we like this bread so much we make it throughout the year.
Really, the only problem with that is that the cranberries are not available all year round.
I like to buy lots of bags of cranberries and store them in the freezer for easy access all year long.
Whenever you make these lovely loaves, remember that there is nothing as wonderful as bringing the family together for a holiday tradition.
Related Post
AMAZON DISCLOSURE: This website participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
