Cranberries
Only three major fruits are native to North America – Concord grapes, blueberries and CRANBERRIES. The 2000 cranberry harvest is just about over, but you still have time to get to your market and buy a few bags. Cranberries will stay fresh in their original bag in the fridge for at least 2 months. Wrap them airtight and you can store them in the freezer for up to one year. You’ll find lots of cranberry recipes near the end of this article so read on, buy your cranberries, and get cooking.
Question: What’s round and red and goes up and down?
Answer: A cranberry in an elevator.
Cranberries also go up and down when bounced – a sure sign the little crimson berries are perfect specimens, since damaged or spoiled berries will not bounce. Bouncing berries to sort the good from the bad is just one of the ways cranberry producers use to judge the quality of their berries - size and color are two of the other ways.
Grown principally in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Washington and Oregon, the cranberry is an exceedingly versatile fruit. It’s a star in sauces, relishes and beverages, but also plays a strong supporting role in a variety of baked goods, salads, stuffings, side dishes, candy, sorbet and even liquer. Cranberries contain Vitamin C, potassium and fiber. Pairing them with citrus flavor (particularly orange) is classic.
You can purchase cranberries fresh (available from October through December), frozen (available year-round - use just like fresh berries), dried (use just like raisins) or already prepared into jellies, juices, compotes, relishes, cereals, or sauces. You’ll also find them baked into breads, cookies, cakes, muffins, pies, tarts, crisps, scones and cobblers. You can snack on dried sweetened cranberries right from the package – I think they're even more tasty than raisins.
Cranberries have gone by many names throughout their history. We know them as cranberries, but they used to be “craneberries” – so called because the cranberry vine blossoms resembled the neck, head and bill of the cranes seen wandering about the bogs where the cranberries grew. Native Americans used various names for the cranberry - Eastern Indians called them "sassamanesh," Algonquins called them "atoqua," and both Pequots and the Leni-Lenape tribes called them "ibimi," or bitter berry - which is appropriate because fresh cranberries are very tart. Many preparations (desserts and juices for example) usually contain some sort of sweetener. However, cranberries in all their sour glory are great, as is, in side dishes (like wild rice) or stuffing recipes.
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