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Crazy
for Cranberries
By Cheri Sicard
Long
before the Pilgrims arrived in America in 1620, native Americans
were mixing mashed cranberries with deer meat to make pemmican --
a convenience food that kept for long periods of time. Cranberries
were also used for medicinal purposes and their juice was a natural
dye for rugs, blankets and clothing.
The
cranberry is one of only a handful of fruits native to North America
- the Concord grape and blueberry being the others. As documented
by the Pilgrims, cranberries were found in abundance in Massachusetts
in 1620, and rumor has it that they may have been served at the
first Thanksgiving dinner, although we have no way of knowing for
sure. Written recipes using cranberries date back to the 1700s,
and the first recorded cranberry crop in history dates back to 1816
in Dennis, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. Cranberries soon cemented
their place in New England life by serving as a vital source of
vitamin C for whalers, and a valuable natural resource to residents.
While
the Pilgrims may have been the first westerners to use the berry,
it was Dutch and German settlers who gave it its name; calling the
tart fruit "crane berries" because of the resemblance of the blooming
cranberry flowers to the head and bill of a crane.
The
hearty cranberry vine thrives in conditions that would not support
most other crops: acidic soil, few nutrients and low temperatures,
even in summer. Contrary to popular belief, cranberries do not grow
in water, but in sandy bogs or marshes. Because berries float, some
bogs are flooded when the fruit is ready for harvesting, giving
the illusion that the fruit grows in water. Growers then use water-reel
harvesting machines to loosen the cranberries from their vine. They
are then corralled onto conveyer belts, and into waiting trucks,
which take them to receiving stations and eventually processing
plants.
About
10 percent of the cranberries grown in Massachusetts are dry harvested
and sold as fresh fruit. To dry harvest, growers use mechanical
pickers with comb-shaped conveyer belts that pick the berries and
carry them to attached burlap bags. These
bags are emptied into bins and delivered to fresh fruit receiving
stations where they are graded and screened, based on color and
the ability to bounce -- soft berries do not bounce.
Cranberries
are primarily grown in five states -- Massachusetts, Wisconsin,
New Jersey, Oregon and Washington. Another 5,500 acres are cultivated
in Chile, Quebec, and British Columbia. There are nearly 1,000 cranberry
growers in America. Normally, growers do not have to replant since
an undamaged cranberry vine will survive indefinitely. In fact,
some vines on Cape Cod are more than 150 years old!
Cranberry
Tips
- Look
for bright, plump cranberries, avoid soft, crushed, or shriveled
berries.
- Peak
season is September through December.
- Fresh
cranberries will keep in the refrigerator for 4-8 weeks.
- You
can freeze fresh cranberries for longer storage.
- You
can substitute frozen cranberries in most recipes calling for
fresh.
- Do
not wash cranberries until ready for use, as moisture will cause
quicker spoilage.
- When
a recipe says "cook until the cranberries pop," don't expect popcorn.
This simply mean the berry's outer skin will expand until it bursts.
More
Cranberry Sauce Recipes
Cheri
Sicard is the editor of FabulousFoods.com where you'll find recipes,
an online cooking school, celebrity chef interviews, holiday and
entertaining ideas, free cooking newsletters and more. http://www.fabulousfoods.com
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