Cranberries taste bitter

Question

Today I bought a small bag of cranberries. I ate some but they tasted bitter. I was wondering if they can be eaten directly?

Answer 1

Cranberries are just about always sweetened. In their natural state, they are extremely tart. They're safe unsweetened, just not pleasant.

Answer 2

Most people would characterize cranberries as sour, not bitter. If yours truly taste bitter, something is probably wrong and they should be discarded.

While it is safe to eat normal cranberries raw or cooked, usually they are made into sweetened dishes because they are so sour.

Answer 3

Well I'm very curious - I would characterize cranberries as bitter, not sour (lemons are sour, for instance), so I guess it depends on an individual's taste buds. I use fresh cranberries every year to make cranberry sauce around Christmas - I don't use quite as much sugar as the recipe calls for, but even when I do, there's still a back taste of bitterness. This bitterness is allayed somewhat by the addition of port to the recipe, I find. It seems to be the nature of the fruit, and it makes a very good accompaniment to both duck, goose, turkey and chicken, as far as my taste buds are concerned. Certainly, cranberry juice also has that back taste of bitterness and leaves a sort of dry, faintly bitter feel in the mouth, and this is often a reason why many of my friends and relatives don't like cranberry juice on its own - mixed with other fruits (raspberry for instance) the bitterness is almost completely disguised. I certainly wouldn't want to eat one fresh.

Answer 4

In West Bengal we call it Karonja the plant is of lemon-plant height and thorny. The fruit is green or with reddish-stripe but when ripes it becomes blackish as congealed blood. The taste of the fruit is so sour that one has to make a sound with his tounge with closed eyes. Funny is that when it ripes become sweet and sour. This is my personal experience. I have tasted it plucking from the Plant. So, I can't agree with the view that the fruit is of bitter taste. Ofcourse, if it is the same fruit you have talked about.I am sure the fruit is same because I have seen the whole Fruit and parted fruit.