Blueberries are blue, but what color is cran? Actually, the word cranberry is derived from “crane berry” since the blossoms resembled the neck, head, and bill of a crane.
Cranberries are high in fiber and vitamin C and contain just 25 calories per 1/2 cup of fresh berries. They are also low in sodium and a source of vitamins A & B, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Packed full of antioxidants and other natural compounds, cranberries promote the prevention of urinary tract infections, gum disease and stomach ulcers. With all this great nutrition, shouldn’t we stop relegating them to just November?
Fresh whole cranberries are available in markets now, but won’t be there for long: the season is September through January. These berries will keep in the refrigerator for one month. Buy a few extra bags now and throw them directly in the freezer so that you’ll have berries all year long. Fresh cranberries should be washed and sorted just before use. When sorting, white berries are safe to eat; they just haven’t developed their full color. Discard any bruised berries.
Americans consume some 400 million pounds of cranberries each year and 20% of that total is eaten during Thanksgiving week. In addition to canned cranberry sauce, here are some tasty ways to enjoy these berries:
- Add chopped cranberries to baked goods such as bran muffins
- Toss some chopped cranberries into pancakes or waffles
- Serve cranberry sauce over top of pancakes, waffles or yogurt
- Try dried cranberries – eat them out of the bag or incorporate them into snack mixes
- Add a few chopped fresh or dried cranberries to your morning cereal or oatmeal
- Cook cranberries with apples for a tangy applesauce
- Add cranberries to apple or pecan pie for holiday color and flavor
Simple Cranberry Relish
Combine one bag of cranberries plus one cup of sugar and one cup of water in a medium-sized sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until the cranberries are tender. Serve warm or chill for later use. The sauce will gel as it cools because the cranberries are a natural source of pectin, the same pectin used in making jelly. 1/3 cup = 105 calories, 20 g carbohydrate.
Copyright foodandhealth.com, reprinted with permission.