I love cranberries yet I (and most Americans) only seem to eat them during the holiday season. Why is that? Perhaps it’s that the cranberry is undervalued in terms of its versatility. Perhaps it’s that most folks have only had it in the jellied form – or as a juice. We were having a discussion of cranberries over coffee one morning here at Greenfeet HQ and decided the lowly cranberry needed to improve its street cred.
We know our friends are up for a good challenge so we called out on Greenfeet’s Facebook fan page and through Twitter for your best cranberry recipes – the winner to receive a prize package from Greenfeet. You didn’t disappoint. We had some great recipes and ideas coming at us from all angles. The winning recipe is posted below.
I have an amazing recipe for cranberries and orange I’ll post a bit later in the holiday season. It’s worth looking out for. But, in the meantime, I’d really encourage you to consider all the different ways you can utilize this seasonal fruit. Consider cranberry upside down cake, cranberry-tini’s, cranberry chicken salad (YUM!), cranberry quick bread, oh shall I continue? Ok- Throw some dried cranberries in your spinach salad, or add a few to your cookies. Integrating these little beauties into your diet is easier than you think. Speaking of beauties, cranberries are the divas of the berry world.
I mean did you know the cranberry is one of only three berries native to North America that are grown commercially? Yep. And they’re a festidious little berry. They only grow in certain conditions according to the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association. Optimum conditions include acid peat soil, plenty of fresh water, sand and a growing season stretching from April to November, including a dormancy period in the winter months providing an extended chilling period, necessary to mature fruiting buds. Hmmm, I could use a ‘chilling’ period for a few months a year myself. I think crannies know what they’re doing.
I’m in the middle of reading Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. I’ve enjoyed many of Barbara’s books over the years and find myself engrossed in this one. If you’re a foodie, care where your food comes from and have a hankering to grow your own veggies, this is the book for you. If you don’t, well you should read it anyway. It’s really that good.
