What is the 'cranberry berry', and why is it as good as everyone says?

The Cranberry bush is a somewhat innocuous evergreen dwarf shrub usually discovered in sharp marshlands in the chillier areas of North America.

The cranberry 'berry' initially appears as a simple white colour, but as it grows and becomes ripe it changes gradually to a rich burgundy colour.

Although it is part of the same plant family as the blueberry and the whinberry, the cranberry berry is a little a lot more acidic, which seems to act as a counterbalance to the fruity sweetness, giving it access to that strange group in the world of food of fruits that work well with savoury meals and sweeter courses.

Cranberries most likely get the name 'cranberry' as a result of the belief that they are often consumed by cranes (ie 'crane-berry') - although a few folklore experts believe that the real origin is based on the fact that in the ealier stages of the bush's growth, it has a resemblance to the shape of the crane. Regardless of the true reason, the name 'cranberry' is now well known through the whole world.

Cranberries represent a huge economic crop in many northern US States, and now have a really unique place in The traditional culture of the American nation as some people believe that they were given to starving settlers by the native people. Because of this, cranberry sauce is a necessary part of the beloved thanksgiving meal consumed by innumerable Americans each year.

The majority of the annual cranberry production is processed into cranberry juice and cranberry jelly, however a larger proportion of it is now sold in its raw form as a result of health claims that it is one of the 'superfoods', believed to have beneficial nutrient content and antioxidant 'reducing agent' attributes.

In early days, these versatile berries were grown in cranberry beds positioned in damp swampland, but lately cultivation has moved to elevated locations with a shallow water table. In these locations, contrary to popular belief, the beds are not flooded but are continuously irrigated to maintain a sensible moisture level in the cranberry beds.

Cranberry juice is now in demand every nation, and as well as the recognisable 'burgundy' juice, is also available in a clear or 'white' form which is made from less mature berries.

Cranberries' health properties
Some experts believe that cranberry juice possesses medicinal properties that are good for preventing bacteria growth of the urinary tract.

In addition, this delicious berry has been useful in treating divevrse range of other health concerns, such as a poultice for open wounds, abnormal bowel movements, diabetes mellitus, tummy aches, and as a tonic for a problem liver. Some research has been done that illustrates that everyday consumption of cranberry juice might help reduce the risks of heart conditions.

As in all similar medical claims, one must practice serious care - medical opinion is varied and the best reason for increasing your consumption of cranberries is the fact that they taste wonderful! As discussed earlier, cranberries are used to make both sweet and savoury dishes, with the most widely known use being as an accompaniment to the traditional roast turkey. Don't let this 'traditional' use put you off though, cranberry berries are also quite superb when used in sweet dishes.

If you want to try cooking some good to eat cranberry recipes there are plenty of them on the internet, but to help you test this theory for yourself, here is a delicious cranberry recipe:

A cranberry crumble recipe

Recipe ingredients

1 x Orange (preferably thick-skinned)
water (one cup)
half a cup Granulated sugar (or equivalent low carb sugar substitute)
4 cups Cranberries
1 tbsp Butter (far better than margarine)
one pck Biscuit dough (to create eight biscuits).

Preparation

Roughly grate the orange rind and put on one side. Put the rest of the orange thru a juicer. Combine juice of the orange, grated rind, moisture, sugar (granulated), these versatile berries & unsalted butter in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and heat for 1 min until you have a thick cranberry sauce.

Spoon the cranberry sauce evenly amongst eight greased ovenproof baking dishes or a medium sized casserole dish. Spoon the biscuit dough on top of the cranberry sauce.

Bake at 230 degree c (450 f) for 10 min, lower heat setting and cook at 350 f (180 c) for another 20 mins.

serves 8 people.

Each serving has 98 calories Roger is an editor at: recipe ideas, offering a wide range of recipes using cranberries that are tasty and easy to prepare.