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What Are the Different Types of Cranberry Salad?

Lori Kilchermann
Lori Kilchermann

A versatile fruit that can be used fresh, frozen or dried in recipes, cranberry salads are plentiful. They can feature whole and jellied cranberry sauces, and a combination of fruits, vegetables and nuts, such as cranberry-apple Waldorf salad. Many salads include assorted flavors of gelatin, including raspberry, strawberry and mixed fruit. Some salads are also made to be served frozen, and some feature marshmallows for sweetness, such as cranberry fluff salad.

Cranberries work well in salad recipes when combined with other fruits, including oranges, bananas and pineapple. Grandma's cranberry-orange gelatin salad features cranberry sauce and orange zest. Pineapple cranberry salad features cranberry sauce and pineapple tidbits. Fresh cranberry salad features miniature marshmallows, crushed pineapple and banana. Cranberry apple salad features unsweetened pineapple juice, crushed pineapple and apple.

A bowl of sour cream, which is used in making cranberry spinach salad.
A bowl of sour cream, which is used in making cranberry spinach salad.

Many salads are made with various flavors of gelatin, such as strawberry, apple and mixed fruit. Cranberry-black cherry gelatin salad features black cherry-flavored gelatin mix, sour cream and whole cranberry sauce. Thanksgiving Day salad features strawberry-flavored gelatin mix, frozen strawberries and cream cheese. Cranberry gelatin salad features jellied cranberry sauce, dark sweet cherries and cherry gelatin. Cran-raspberry gelatin mold features frozen raspberries, cranberries and raspberry-flavored gelatin mix.

Walnuts are a common ingredient in cranberry salads.
Walnuts are a common ingredient in cranberry salads.

Using dried cranberries can add flavor and crunch to these salads. They are typically put through a grinder before being mixed in with other salad ingredients, such as crushed pineapple and pecans. Whole and jellied cranberry sauces can also be used in salad. Holiday cranberry salad features both whole and jellied cranberry sauce.

Flavorful cranberries also pair well with many vegetables, including spinach and celery. Cranberry spinach salad features baby spinach, chopped pecans and sour cream. Cranberry chiffon salad features chopped celery, whole cranberries and unsweetened applesauce. Chopped celery is also featured in cranberry fluff salad.

Cranberries can pair well with mild-flavored vegetables like celery.
Cranberries can pair well with mild-flavored vegetables like celery.

Typically, these salads are refrigerated, such as eggnog and cranberry salad, which features jellied cranberry sauce and whipped topping mix. Other salads are frozen, such as frozen cranberry pineapple salad and frozen cranberry banana salad. Creamy frozen cranberry salad is made with light mayonnaise, cream cheese and crushed pineapple. Thanksgiving frozen cranberry salad features frozen or fresh cranberries, crushed pineapple and whipping cream.

Some recipes feature marshmallows, and their sweetness offsets the tartness of the cranberries. Cranberry marshmallow salad, cranberry-apple Waldorf salad and layered cranberry salad all feature miniature marshmallows.

Discussion Comments

Catapult

@snickerish- My mother's family had a similar connection to sweet potatoes. My mom never makes it the way her own grandmother used to, although I think part of that is that she didn't like it as much. Still, she often used to talk about the ways her family had made those dishes, so I think she too missed the way her grandmother and other departed relatives cooked.

If you do miss that salad, perhaps your aunt can show you how,and you can remember your grandmother when you make it.

hyrax53

I love cranberries- relishes, salads, sauces. There are so many simple recipes for homemade cranberry sauce, and it's so easy. Just boil them with enough sugar until the berries pop and pull apart, let it sit long enough, and you have sauce. I don't see the point of the canned stuff unless you can't find fresh or frozen cranberries where you are.

snickerish

Before my Mam-maw died, my Aunt Bobbie used to make this amazing cranberry-apple Waldorf salad, which included walnuts, pecans, and miniature marshmallows as well. Since then though, I don't think my Aunt has made it, at least not for big holiday events like Christmas dinner.

This makes me wonder if maybe my Aunt would make the salad mostly for my Mam-maw. Or maybe my Aunt learned how to make it growing up, through watching my Mam-maw make it. Maybe she just doesn't feel like trying as much since my Mam-maw has passed away, although it has been nearly a decade now.

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    • A bowl of sour cream, which is used in making cranberry spinach salad.
      A bowl of sour cream, which is used in making cranberry spinach salad.
    • Walnuts are a common ingredient in cranberry salads.
      By: mates
      Walnuts are a common ingredient in cranberry salads.
    • Cranberries can pair well with mild-flavored vegetables like celery.
      By: andersphoto
      Cranberries can pair well with mild-flavored vegetables like celery.