Ocean Spray Craisins Dried Whole Cranberries (Costco) Review
Author’s Note: Not a paid or sponsored review. These are my own tart opinions. I have no affiliation with Ocean Spray or Costco.
You bought 64 ounces of Craisins. Now what?
Did you buy one of those ginormous 4-pound bags of Ocean Spray dried cranberries from Costco? Perhaps you are staring at that bag now, and wondering what to do with it. I’m here to help.
My qualifications are: I also bought a bag of those dang cranberries — two years in a row! So, 8 pounds of dried cranberries. Great googley-moogley! I 1000% did not need the second bag — but I couldn’t pass up a deal that good. Ugh. Greed has consequences, my friends.
Wait, I didn’t buy those cranberries yet. Tell me more about them.
Okie dokie. Well, these are WHOLE cranberries, unlike your typical “Craisins,” which are more often halves or pieces.
The berries are plump and ovoid — and pretty big. Slightly chewy. They’re sweetened just enough to taste good. But, not so much that it overpowers the tangy fruit taste. I love that Ocean Spray has not added any sulfur dioxide or other preservatives. There are also no added flavors. More about the ingredients later.
In my experience, these cranberries start out moist and relatively tender, and get a bit stiffer as time goes on. Just like raisins. It took me about a year to eat my first 4-pound bag, and the cranberries were drier and less flexible at the end of the year. If you’re baking with these, I doubt it will matter much. But, for snacking, you might notice.
Here’s everything I made with my dried cranberries:
Cranberry Orange Scones
For scones, I prefer cranberries over raisins every single time. I love the tart contrast to the biscuity-mellowness. I wrote instructions to make this quick and easy scone recipe, which I’ve made on repeat for several years. These scones are lightly sweet, and turn out wonderfully crisp and tender. I use frozen butter and a food processor to make the job easier.
Pro tip: If you don’t like big, whole cranberries in your scones, just put the craisins in the food processor earlier (rather than at the end) so that they get slightly chopped up.
Cranberry Pecan Brownies
I added cranberries and pecans to my mom’s basic, no frills brownie recipe, and the result was…festive! Here’s a review of the chocolate chips I used, with a recipe for the brownies.
Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Dill
I mean. Obviously, I had to make a classic Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Dill! That’s pretty much an obligation. I used a chilled Costco Rotisserie Chicken, cut into cubes, with homemade mayonnaise and chopped pecans. There are diced red onions and chopped green onions, along with fresh dill herb. No need for a recipe — measure with your heart!
The WHOLE craisins make a bolder, fruitier statement than typical chopped/halved craisins. If that’s not your jam, you can always pulse your whole cranberries first in a food processor.
Cranberry Jalapeno Meatballs Sauce
Costco has these Amylu Cranberry Jalapeno Chicken Meatballs, and they taste great as crockpot party food with a BBQ-based sauce. Unfortunately, I was out of BBQ sauce!
So, I made my own sauce using 1 cup+ dried cranberries, a 15-ounce can tomato sauce, 1/3 cup sugar, several dashes of hot sauce, and mustard. Add your spices (such as smoked paprika and cayenne) to taste, and salt if you want it.
Since I was making the sauce in a crock pot, I cooked the ingredients on “high” for an hour or two, and then blended with my immersion blender.
Then I added the meatballs and cooked on low for a few hours. The sauce was tangy and rich, with a distinct fruity flavor that complimented the meatballs.
Whole Cranberry Garnishes
I also used whole cranberries to garnish these salty fudge squares. Guess what? I didn’t make these. I actually cut up a thawed Dolly Parton’s Decadent Chocolate Pie (read my review here) and turned it into party food! Woot.
The cranberries really elevate these squares and add a kick of satisfying brightness to the sweet, salty flavors of the fudge base.
Ingredients in Ocean Spray Dried Cranberries
Here are the ingredients, from the label:
- Cane Sugar
- Cranberries
- * Refined sunflower oil is used as a processing aid
It’s kinda a bummer to see more sugar than cranberries here! But, otherwise, I can’t fault these ingredients. Admirably straightforward.
More information from the label:
- Gluten Free
- Peanut Free
- Non GMO Project Verified
- Farmer Owned
- No Artificial Flavors or Preservatives
- 100% North American Cranberries
Nutrition Facts in Whole Dried Ocean Spray Cranberries
Holy Moly. There are 45 servings per bag. Each serving has 130 calories. There’s no fat or protein, but there are 27 grams of sugar (most of this is “added sugar”) and 3 grams of fiber.
Price and Shelf Life
The 64 ounce bag has a “regular” price of about $10 at my local Costco. However, the sale price is $6. That’s only $1.50 per pound. It would be difficult to find another dried fruit priced as competitively. Hence, the greed.
My bag has a “best-by” date that allows nearly a year to consume. The label says, “Needs no refrigeration after opening.” But. I keep mine in the refrigerator anyway.
Dramatic Conclusion
If you love cranberries, this enormous bag will test your devotion. This is a lot of fruit. Fortunately, the berries are versatile. Their tangy flavor is a great compliment to many sweet and savory dishes.
Will I buy another 4-pound bag next year? History says I’ll probably succumb to that temptation. Alas.
The End.
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