by Diane Sagers
CORRESPONDENT
What would a Thanksgiving dinner be without cranberries? That lively reddish-maroon color, and tangy-sweet flavor are touted as the best possible accompaniment for roast turkey. Whether or not you agree with that analysis, cranberries are a necessary part of a finely laid out Thanksgiving feast.
Cranberries have been on the menu in North America since long before white men set foot on its shores. Native Americans ate them raw or cooked them into sauces. Pemmican, a dried food that provided protein, vitamins and minerals for the winter, was made by drying meat which was treated with cranberries.
Cranberries were highly valued by pioneer New England sea captains as a prevention for scurvy. Scurvy is a vitamin C deficiency disease. Because fresh fruit was not available on long ship voyages, vitamin C was also unavailable and outbreaks of scurvy were common among early seafarers, but not among those who ate cranberries (or citrus fruits).
Cranberries are available fresh from September to December. Fresh berries can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks just as you bought them. Sort and rinse in cold water just before using them.
For longer storage, double wrap them in plastic and freeze them for up to a year. Do not wash before freezing. Sort and rinse frozen berries just before cooking. For best results, do not thaw before cooking.
Cranberry trivia
We aren't as familiar with cranberries in our area as in areas where they grow readily in bogs. So here are a few facts of trivia:
* Cranberries are sorted using bounce board separators. According to legend, John "Peg-Leg" Webb, a New Jersey grower, is responsible for the sorting method. Because he had a wooden leg, he could not carry crates of berries down from the loft of his barn. Instead, he poured them down the steps. He discovered that those that bounced the best and arrived at the bottom were the firmest, finest berries. Rotten and bruised berries stayed on the steps.
Today, the very bounciest berries are sold fresh in bags, while those with less bounce go into juice drinks and other products.
* There are approximately 440 cranberries to a pound and about 4,400 cranberries to a gallon.
* A typical 100-pound barrel of cranberries contains about 44,000 berries.
* Americans consume 340 million pounds of cranberries each year.
* During Thanksgiving week they eat just over 20 percent, about 73 million pounds, of the berries. That includes 55 million one-pound cans of cranberry sauce, 12 million pounds homemade sauce and 3 million gallons of cranberry juice drinks.
* Cranberries, American grapes (like Concords) and blueberries are the only three commercially grown small fruits native exclusively to North America (and nowhere else).
* Besides the 30,000 acres of cranberries cultivated in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington state, 4,000 acres are cultivated in British Columbia and other parts of Canada. Most of the world's cranberries grow in these areas.
* Contrary to our misconceptions, cranberries do not grow in flooded bogs. The fields, are, however often flooded to make harvesting easier, although wet harvesting is not required.
* Most wet harvested berries will be frozen until time to juice them later in the year. Freezing cranberries increases their juice yield.
* Cranberries are so rich in natural color, that no artificial colors are added to cranberry juice products.
Cranberry Nut Loaf
2 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil
1 egg beaten
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in mixing bowl. Add oil, egg, orange juice and orange peel and stir just to moisten. Fold in cranberries and nuts. Grease bottoms only of 1 large loaf pan or 2 small loaf pans. Pour batter into pans. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting toothpick into center. Toothpick should come out clean. Cool bread slightly and loosen sides of loaf from pan and remove. Cool completely before slicing. Makes 1 large or 2 small loaves.
Cranberry Orange Bread
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup oatmeal (quick or old-fashioned, uncooked)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
3/4 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bottoms only of 1 large loaf pan or 2 small loaf pans.
In large bowl combine first six ingredients and mix well. In a medium bowl, combine orange juice, milk, oil, eggs and orange peel. Mix well. Add to dry ingredients, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in cranberries and nuts. Pour into prepared pan(s). Bake 60 to 70 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely before serving.
Cranberry Frozen Salad
1 large can pineapple tidbits
1 (16 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
5 bananas sliced
12 ounce container frozen whipped topping
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Drain pineapple juice into a bowl. Add sliced bananas. Combine cranberry sauce and sugar. Remove bananas, discarding juice and add to cranberry mixture. Stir in pineapple, cool whip and mayonnaise. Pour into a 9x13 dish and freeze until solid.
Remove from freezer for 15 minutes before serving.