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Not one of my favorite foods, yet I cannot escape it for everybody seems to place it on the table in front of me and I find myself wondering just why it is only during Thanksgiving and Christmas it manages to show up. So here is a little history on the creature. The Pilgrims discovered the American Indians eating cranberries twice the size of those found in Europe. Today, these native creatures are grown on low, trailing vines in bogs of peat, sand, and clay that are flooded in the winter for protection from the cold. Also called bounce berries (because the ripe ones do, go figure who found this out) and cranberries (the vine's blossoms resemble the heads of the cranes often found wading through the bogs did somebody really say this?), this holiday favorite is cultivated mainly in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Washington, and Oregon. They are about the size of a marble, good to choke on it if one is not careful. And color varies from red to a deep almost wine color. And with our modern society they package them so we can see this color. You know to catch your eye. I”m told you can't kill the little creatures as they will stay in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or a freezer for a year! Guess that's pretty good. But here's their real secret why we see them this time of the year as the harvesting generally occurs between in September and October, with the peak market period running through December. Okay so here's the good news, they are served many different way, to me these berries are very tart and I am more of a sweet type of person. Yet they are good for pies, muffins, and cobblers and the like. As you can tell I'm still not sold on them! Tho I am told these little devils are good for you and are a great source of vitamins A and C , and contain antioxidants that help protect you from cancer and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. They also contain lots of fiber, which aids in digestion and helps lower cholesterol. So even though I don't care for them , my assumption is , it has to be an acquired taste . Cranberries are indeed here to stay and apparently a favorite seasonal food enjoyed my many! Happy Holiday from Back to my Kitchen
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