It's very much the fruit of the season, but there's way more to the crisp, crunchy cranberry than meets the eye! Here are three suggestions to make the most of this succulent seasonal berry

Cranberry sauce

No festive turkey would be complete without cranberry sauce! Sure, there are plenty of options if you want to buy ready-made, but making your own is surprisingly easy. All you’ll need is 100g light muscovado sugar, 100ml orange juice (fresh, if possible), and 250g fresh or frozen cranberries. Mix the sugar and juice in a pan, bring to a boil and add the cranberries, then allow to simmer until the berries are soft but not mushy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. The sauce will keep in the fridge for a week or so but do remember to bring it up to room temperature before serving.

Cranberry smoothie

Cranberries make a wonderful ingredient in a smoothie; they’re not too sweet, so you can add other sweeter fruits (or a splash of agave syrup) if you have a sweeter tooth, and they’ve got a host of health benefits such as being great for maintaining healthy waterworks. For a thicker smoothie, try mixing with bananas, or – for a refreshing drink – try blending with orange and grapefruit juice. As cranberries are rather tart, they also work well with a natural yoghurt base, but you might want to sweeten this up with some honey or a natural syrup.

Cranberry chutney

Everybody knows the week after Christmas means turkey sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, and more turkey sandwiches! Jazz things up with a home-made cranberry chutney; simply take 350g fresh cranberries, 100g finely chopped shallots (or red onions, if you prefer), two tablespoons of red grape vinegar, 250g sugar, a tablespoon of minced ginger, a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Combine all the ingredients in a pan, bring to a boil, and then simmer until most of the berries have burst. Allow to cool and thicken, and serve cold.