About Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce is a traditional holiday treat, served most often with turkey and dressing. Tart and tangy, the crisp red cranberries rival holly berries as a harbinger of the holidays. As popular as they are, few people know much about how cranberries are grown and how they are turned into cranberry sauce to decorate our tables.
Geography
Cranberries are one of several related species of berries that grow in wetlands in various parts of the world, including blueberries, bilberries and huckleberries. There are three major species of cranberries:
Vaccinium oxycoccos, which is also known as the "common cranberry" or the "Northern cranberry," grows throughout the world in the Northern Temperate regions. It has small pink berries and a tart, refreshing taste.
Vaccinium microcarpum, commonly called the "Small Cranberry", grows in Northern Europe and Northern Asia. It is very similar to the common cranberry, though the leaves are a bit more triangular and the stems are bare.
Vaccinium macrocarpon, is most often called the "American cranberry" or the "bearberry." It grows in North America, including regions of the United States and Canada. The main difference between these cranberries and the common cranberry is a slight apple flavor to the taste.
It is the third kind of cranberry that is used to make cranberry sauce. Cranberries are a major agricultural product of Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington. More than half of the cranberries used for cranberry sauce are grown in Wisconsin, with another 28% grown in Massachusetts.
History
While cranberries were known throughout Northern Europe, it is commonly accepted that the Pilgrims were introduced to cranberries by Native Americans who often mixed cranberries in with dried meat to make pemmican. The European transplants incorporated the cranberry into their own recipes, featuring it in recipes for bread, puddings and forcemeats.
The first official mention of cranberry sauce in the annals of history happened in 1864 when General Ulysses S. Grant ordered that cranberry sauce be served to his troops during the siege at Petersburg, very likely because of that high acidic content. Cranberries were widely used by sailors at sea and troops on land to prevent scurvy because of their high content of Vitamin C.
In 1912, the Cape Cod Cranberry Company introduced Ocean Spray Cape Cod Cranberry Sauce, the first commercially canned cranberry sauce. Over the years, the company merged with others to eventually become Ocean Spray, the single largest grower and processor of cranberries--and the world's leading maker of cranberry sauce.
Types
There are two basic types of cranberry sauce: jellied cranberry sauce and whole berry cranberry sauce. Jellied cranberry sauce is made by boiling cranberries with sugar, pectin and other flavors until it thickens and then straining the sauce to remove all skins and solids from the mixture. Whole berry sauce is similar, but is generally cooked for less time and is not strained to remove the skins and solids. Whole berry cranberry sauces often include other fruits, especially oranges which set off the tangy flavor of the cranberries especially well.
Benefits
In addition to being an excellent source of Vitamin C, cranberries also are high in antioxidants and other phytochemicals that may strengthen the immune system. A number of studies suggest that cranberries may be one of nature's "super foods." There is evidence that cranberries may help fight cancer, infections and tooth decay, among other things.
Misconceptions
It's not very likely that cranberry sauce was served at the first Thanksgiving dinner since sugar was so scarce in Colonial times. Cranberry sauce requires sugar in order to jell. However, there's a very high likelihood that cranberries made some appearance at the first Thanksgiving, perhaps as part of a cranberry relish to be served with roast meats.
Considerations
If you intend to make your own cranberry sauce from scratch, be certain to leave enough time for the cranberry jelly to thicken and set. Cranberry sauce and cranberry relish make a tasty addition to meals that feature poultry or wild game.
Tags: cranberry sauce, cranberry sauce, cranberry sauce, common cranberry, that cranberries