Not only will cranberries make you feel good (esp in a Cosmopolitan cocktail) they also have anti-cancer agents and reverse formation of dental plaque, and your doctor will most likely recommend drinking cranberry juice for any kidney problems. In short, a terrific way to make it through the cold winter, adding some vibrancy and bright colors to the mix.
(Heirloom cranberries at the farmers market)
European-style Cranberries
As a cook I favor one fruit or vegetable over the other and cranberries are totally MINE. It might have to do with the fact that one of my childhood favorite dishes (I grew up in Austria) was Viennese schnitzel served with stewed lingonberries which are European-style cranberries. Lingonberries are smaller, sweeter and a bit more flavorful when compared with American cranberries.
What’s in a Name
Early American settlers named the berry after the crane bird which resembles cranberry flowers witch have a red color and a gooseneck shape.
(Endive salad with dried cranberries, pears and maple syrup caramelized walnuts)
Cranberries & Co.
Cranberries are widespread throughout the cool northern hemisphere often found in higher altitudes. They can’t be missed here in the US for a traditional Thanksgiving feast when cranberry jelly with its refreshing acidic flavor is an ideal match for rather lame tasting turkey birds. Other cranberry things can be found plentiful on supermarket shelves such as various juice concoctions, compotes, dried, and baked items such as muffins, scones and cranberry bread to name a few.
(Pear strudel with Stilton cheese and candied cranberries and black truffle honey)
Cranberry Harvest
Nowadays, cranberries are cultivated for commercial production. The majority of cranberries are most likely from highly irrigated and leveled cranberry shrub beds which are flooded with water in fall and harvested with heavy machinery. The floating berries are then pumped from the fields into containers and shipped for mass production for items such as cranberry jelly, juice and sauce.
Hand-harvesting cranberries is another option, obviously more labor intensive. Berries get picked with man-operated motorized push-cart like vehicles and bagged into burlap sacks. Cranberries harvested like that are often sold at farmers markets and their quality compared to the flooded-style harvest is much better since they are not bruised.
Freeze It To Protect It.
Cranberries are cold-resistant down to temperatures of 23 degree Fahrenheit in harvest season when frosty nights kick-in. If temperatures fall even lower, farmers have to “shower” cranberry shrubs with water. In this way a protective thin layer of ice freezes around the berries so they won’t be destroyed by the cold temperature.
(left picture: stewed cranberries in a jar)
(right picture: schnitzel with stewed then pureed cranberries)
Simple Delicious
Recipe for Stewed Cranberries
(recipe yields 2 cups)
4 cups fresh cranberries
3 tablespoons honey such as clover honey
- In a pot (2-quart sized) combine cranberries, honey and sugar with water (2 table spoons) then cook on low heat setting (cook for 35-45 minutes covered with a lid). Stir cranberries with a kitchen spoon once in a while.
- Keep stewed cranberries in a container such as a glass jar with a tigh fitting lid for refrigerated storage like this you can use them for up to one week.
Chef's Tip: Serve stewed cranberries warm or cold with fried chicken, roasted fish, blue cheese and such.
