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CRANBERRIES
The large, plump, cranberries, along with blue berries and
Concord grapes, are native to America . Native Americans
used a mixture of crushed cranberries, ground venison, and
fat, called pemmican, as a survival food. Benzoic acid in
the cranberry acts as a preservative to the meat.
Cranberries are sometimes called ‘bear berries’ because the
bears are fond of them. A smaller variety of cranberry is
cultivated in Europe .
Cranberries may be ‘dry harvested’ by picking the fruit
directly from the plant in the field, or they may be ‘wet
harvested’. This process requires that the field be flooded
the night before the harvest. Machines that look like a
‘stern wheeler’ river boat churn the water, causing the
berries to dislodge and float to the surface where they are
gathered.
There are two varieties of cranberry produced in North
America , the familiar red cranberry and the white cranberry
that matures earlier. Cranberry growing is a delicate art,
requiring four years for the plant to produce its first
crop. The timing of the harvest is variable from year to
year, depending of the climatic conditions.
Cranberries may be preserved by drying like raisins, they
may be processed as juice, and of course, that are available
as canned Cranberry sauce, either as whole berries or as a
puree. They are also available as fresh berries, which
presents them as an entirely different food, being tart and
full flavored. In any form, they are an excellent garnish
for meats and they are, of course, especially popular during
the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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