Barbara Ellington, Acting Lifestyle Editor
A handful of freshly reaped cranberries. - PHOTO BY BARBARA ELLINGTON
The ginger, aloe vera, orange, strawberry, ripe banana and tomato are all known for their health benefits. Add cranberry to the list.
This berry, when ripe, is similar in size and shape to our Blue Mountain coffee berry. In fact, both share a preference for a certain climatic condition to influence their flavour. The Blue Mountain Coffee credits its distinctive flavour to the mist that covers the mountains and cranberry requires a certain winter-like temperature to ripen the berries.
But that's where the similarity ends. Grown extensively in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Washington D.C., Florida and a few other parts of the United States, cranberries are harvested between October and November.
The cranberry is a versatile fruit used to make juices, cocktails, sauces, syrup, dried snacks and a wide variety of exciting sweet and savoury dishes.
Food visited the cranberry juice manufacturing corporate headquarters of Ocean Spray in Lakeville, Middleboro, Massachusetts last week for a taste of the annual cranberry harvest and festival. The trip was also to recognise and laud local distributors, Wisynco's outstanding achievement of becoming the fastest growing international market of the juice.
THE PROCESS
Cranberry is a perennial crop and one bog (field) can reproduce fruits for up to 100 years. It was first introduced to the United States by Native American Indians who later shared the growing secrets and recipes with the Pilgrims.
Cranberry sauce has since become a regular part of annual Thanksgiving dinners and the juice has gained respect and popularity for its health-giving properties.
Kirby Gilmore is one of over 750 farmers who comprise the Ocean Spray Co-operative. He has two farms and has been growing the little red fruit since 1978.
His work starts in April each year when he irrigates the plots, then treats them with herbicide to get rid of weeds. Fertiliser comes next and the berries are left to grow and mature till reaping time in October.
The berries grow on a vine or shrub that runs laterally across the bog, dug about two feet below the earth's surface (like a fish pond would be dug). When ready for reaping, the bog is flooded and the ripe berries which have four air pockets, float to the surface of the water. They are then
corralled and suctioned into huge trucks that take them to the receiving station.
From there, they are sent to the processing plant for manufacturing into the Ocean Spray range of cranberry products.
Kirby told Food this favourite way to enjoy cranberries is with a special sauce made with Bacardi or Appleton rum.
A FEAST OF CRANBERRY DISHES
Back at the corporate office, lunch buffet consisted of: cranberry pumpkin bread, cranberry oat scones, spinach salad with Craisins, roast turkey with a cranberry honey glaze and cranberry apple sauce, maple glaze with Feta cheese and cranberries, wild rice, cranberries and caramelised onions, outrageous chocolate cranberry fudge cake and ginger bread with a warm fruited compote.
The buffet was prepared by Jeannine LaBossiere-Krashas of On Cranberry Pond - a bed and breakfast hotel in Middleberry. Some of the recipes are from A Taste of Life - a recipe book produced by Ocean Spray.
The Pumpkin Cranberry bread had everyone returning for seconds. Its texture as well as the contrasting yellowish glow of the pumpkin with the red fruits spread liberally throughout each slice made for a perfect marriage between two fall favourites.
The spinach salad was simply delicious and showed effective use of dried cranberries (Craisins). The cranberry maple glaze with Feta cheese was a pleasant surprise as was the wild rice. But when combined with the warm fruited compote, the outrageous chocolate cranberry fudge cake was scrumptiously sinful.
Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup pumpkin
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup applesauce
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 6-ounce package Craisins(sweetened dried cranberries)
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350ºF Lightly spray a non-stick 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan with a non-stick vegetable spray.
1. Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Combine remaining ingredients, except sweetened dried cranberries, in a separate mixing bowl.
3. Add to dry ingredients,
stirring just until dry ingredients are moist.
4. Stir in sweetened dried
cranberries.
Spread evenly in loaf pan. Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the bread comes out clean. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Makes one loaf.
Cranberry Oat Scones
Scones:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons orange peel
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup non-fat plain yoghurt
1/4 cup egg substitute
3/4 cup Craisins (sweetened dried cranberries)
Topping:
2 tablespoons brown sugar, optional
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Work butter or margarine into dry ingredients until batter is the size of small peas, using a pastry blender or fork.
4. Combine milk, yoghurt, and egg substitute in a small mixing bowl.
5. Add to dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly.
6. Stir in sweetened dried cranberries.
7. Spread batter into a 9-inch circle on an ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Sprinkle top of scones with brown sugar.
9. Cut into eight wedges and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove scones from oven and re-cut wedges.
Makes eight scones.
Wild Rice and Caramelised Onion Sauté
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup wild rice
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 medium onions, sliced in thin wedges
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 cup Craisins (sweetened dried cranberries)
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
METHOD
1.Combine chicken broth and both rices in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low.
3. Cover and simmer 45
minutes or until rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
4. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat.
5. Add onions and brown sugar.
6. Cook for six minutes or until liquid is absorbed and onions are soft and translucent.
7. Reduce heat to low. Slowly cook onions, stirring often for 25 minutes or until they are caramel in colour.
8. Stir in sweetened dried cranberries. 8. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until cranberries swell. Gently fold cranberry mixture and orange zest into cooked rice.
Makes four to six servings.
