Cranberries
(a poem by Katharine L. Sparrow)
Bright and shiny-
mini orbs of autumn crimson,
hidden among leaves of mossy green…
Gather in the chill of summer’s end,
these cheerful bits of ruby zest!-
a welcome tang
to spice the rustic flavors
of harvest home.
The cranberry has had a rich tradition in the United States, from pre-colonial times through the colonial period and right up to the present day. As described in an article about this amazing fruit, inmamaskitchen.com describes how Native Americans used them for both medicinal purposes and as food, even adding them to soups and stews. As it turned out, they had a good thing going, as the colonists soon discovered. They learned to use them, both fresh and dried, in a number of recipes, and they were used aboard ships crossing the Atlantic to avoid scurvy, a condition resulting from lack of vitamin C, which was difficult to get in the foods that ships carried during their journeys of many months. (inmamaskitchen.com: Cranberries: Cranberry Nutrition, Facts, History, and Lots of Cranberry Recipes)
The early consumers of cranberries knew that they had medicinal uses, but did not know how and why these ruby colored berries were so beneficial. According to an Associated Press article about the cranberry on MSNBC.com, their biggest claim to fame is as a cancer fighting food. Rich in anti-oxidents that combat free radicals which can damage cells, the cranberry’s cancer fighting potential is only the beginning of its health benefits. Cranberry juice is known to help prevent urinary tract infections, fights plaque on teeth, and kills a bacteria that can cause stomach ulcers. In addition, there is growing evidence that cranberries can help regulate the good to bad cholesterol ratio, prevent the growth of tumors, and help decrease the development of breast cancer. (MSNBC.com: Research Shows Health Benefits of Cranberries)
With all its evident health benefits, isn’t it wonderful that cranberries also happen to be delicious to eat? These tart little berries are very versatile too, and may be used in such recipes as relishes and chutney, molded salads, vegetable dishes, rice dishes, breads and muffins, stuffing, syrups and sauces, pies and, of course, in beverages as juice, just to name a few!
Here is a wonderful cranberry recipe to try, called Cranberry Pie. It has been in my family for decades, and to my knowledge it has not been published until now. It isn’t really a pie, more like a coffee cake, but it is sweet and delicious and everyone will be asking for your recipe!
Cranberry Pie
Combine in bottom of 9″ buttered pie pan:
2 Cups fresh cranberries (raw)
1/2 Cup chopped walnuts
1/2 Cup sugar
Combine and pour over above mixture:
1 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup melted butter
1 Cup flour
2 eggs/lightly beaten
1 tsp. almond extract
Bake at 350 f. for 40 to 50 mins, until top is firm and lightly crusted.
This is fabulous served with fresh whipped cream!
Many more cranberry recipes may be found at inmamaskitchen.com at the bottom of their article about cranberries, and at many online recipe sites such as allrecipes.com. They freeze well and can be kept on hand in a zipped freezer bag for frequent use. So don’t just use cranberries as cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving! Explore this tasty little berry in different recipes and enjoy the added bonus of a healthy, wholesome food.
MSNBC.com: (article) Research Shows Health Benefits of Cranberries, 2008
inmamaskitchen.com: (article) Cranberries: Cranberry Nutrition, Facts, History, and Lots of Cranberry Recipes