Falls Best Friend, The Cranberry

An easily looked over fruit, cranberries are a staple ingredient in holiday baking marking Washington in the top five producing states for the tart fruit. Cranberries are noted as a festive addition to the Thanksgiving table and have more notoriety than a side dish served with turkey.

Cranberries are a native wild fruit in North America and became a staple in colonial diets, as “native peoples were consuming wild cranberries, combining the crushed fruit with tallow and deer to make pemmican.” In colonial days they fought off scurvy and were considered a staple in the diet.

In America, four hundred million pounds of cranberries are consumed annually, with 20% of that taking place during Thanksgiving. From sauces to dried fruit and baking, the cranberry is versatile. Only 5% of cranberries grown are consumed fresh. Washington is home to the “Cranberry Coast” in Pacific and Gray’s Harbor counties. 14.8 million pounds are produced in Washington state, with 95% of production sold to Ocean Spray (Washington State Department of Agriculture, 2024).

This original superfruit of America is low in sugar and high in acidity, full of antioxidants and vitamin C. They are a close botanical cousin to the blueberry and are credited with prevention of cancers and decreasing blood pressure. In addition, they enhance oral health, aid in urinary tract infections, and support healthy immune systems.

While difficult to grow, it is a fruit that is easily accessible by farmers in nearby counties. This acid loving fruit grows as a low bush and can be picked, or more easily harvested with a small combine when fruits ripen and float to the top of a cranberry bog. The easiest way is to support your local farmers and buy a bag for a bargain price.

The sweet-tart texture added from dried cranberries make them perfect for baking, granola and as a salad topping. They offer a perfect pop of juice in an orange cranberry muffin and lend themselves to an easy shelf staple medicinally as juice. One and a half cup of fresh cranberries in a quart jar filled with water and processed in a water bath canner for 30 minutes will yield a perfect juice. Adding a cup of sugar or honey to cut the tartness is common, but not necessary.

Cranberry Sauce

1 cup fresh cranberries

2 clementine oranges

1 cup fresh orange juice

½ cup dates, chopped

1/8 tsp garlic, minced

1 TB lemon juice

¼ tsp sea salt

3 TB honey

Put all ingredients in a saucepan and cook or low to medium heat until thickened. Stir and break down ingredients into a thick sauce. Serve hot or chilled. Easy to make ahead of time and serve later.

Reference: Washington State Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Washington State Cranberry Commission. Washington State Department of Agriculture. Retrieved [date you accessed the site], from https://agr.wa.gov/washington-agriculture/commissions/washington-state-cranberry-commission