Whether you’re a fan of cranberries in sauces, baked in breads or crammed in cookies you are in luck. Cranberry season is upon us!
Mid to late October is harvest season for these delicious red fruits. Commercial crops are grown in bogs for easy water harvesting. Water harvested berries are used in juice and sauces. The berries you see in bags on grocery shelves are dry harvested. Fresh berries must be completely dry. Wet berries have an unusually short shelf life.
I visited a protected non-commercial bog in Tannersville, PA where cranberries grew in perfect conditions in a complete ecosystem. These berries are very important to local wildlife.
Native Americans used cranberries for food, dyes and medicine. Sailors took sacks of cranberries on long voyages to ward off scurvy.
Nutrition packed cranberries are high in vitamin C, low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) and Vitamin K, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber and Manganese.
Cranberries have long been associated with urinary tract health. These berries block bacteria from adhering to cell walls.
What are your favorite ways to enjoy cranberries?
Here are some cranberries in recipes ideas to get you started
- Grape Cranberry Sauce
- Kumquat Cranberry Pecan Granola
- Slow-Cooker Cranberry Applesauce
- Cranberry Smoothie
- Spiced Cranberry Upside-down Cake
- Cranberry Gingerbread Muffins
- Cranberry Pecan Orange Bread
- Cranberry Butter
- Cranberries and a Dip
- Goat Cheesecake with Cranberry Sauce
- Red Wine and Cranberry Jelly
- Cranberry Ice Cream (Pink Recipes for Breast Cancer Awareness Month)
