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FOOD OF THE WEEK
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sassamanesh, ibimi, atoqua or cran berry
 
 
Known by all these name but a name settled on here is cranberry...
 
This morning as I munched on my cereal containing dried cranberries I thought it was time I did another food of the week column featuring the fruit/berry! The name is berry but most consider it a fruit. You can choose which you wish to consider calling it.
 
This fruit is found on many tables throughout the winter holidays! Cranberries are unlike any other fruit in the world. From Cape Cod to Washington State, the cranberry has played a role in holiday culture and family health & wellness for years. Its unique health benefits and refreshing tart taste are put in a league of its own. 
 
Cranberries went through a variety of different names after their discovery. Eastern Indians called them "sassamanesh." Cape Cod Pequots and the South Jersey Leni-Lenape tribes named them or bitter berry. The Algonquins of Wisconsin called the fruit "atoqua." But it wasn't until German and Dutch settlers came up with "crane berry," because the vine blossoms resembled the neck, head and bill of a crane that we came to the name of cranberry.
 
American recipes containing cranberries date from the early 18th Century. Legend has it that the Pilgrims may have served cranberries at the first Thanksgiving in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
 
History of Cranberries
 
The cranberry, along with the blueberry and Concord grape, is one of North America's three native fruits that are commercially grown. Cranberries were first used by Native Americans, who discovered the wild berry's versatility as a food, fabric dye and healing agent. Today, cranberries are commercially grown throughout the northern part of the United States and are available in both fresh and processed forms.
 
The name "cranberry" derives from the Pilgrim name for the fruit, "crane berry", so called because the small, pink blossoms that appear in the spring resemble the head and bill of a Sandhill crane. European settlers adopted the Native American uses for the fruit and found the berry a valuable bartering tool.
 
Cranberries are considered a healthy fruit. They contain no cholesterol and virtually no fat and are low in sodium. Various cranberry products may contain substantial levels of dietary fiber and certain vitamins, as well as a variety of photochemical that may be beneficial to health.
 
Cranberries contain bacteria-blocking compounds that are believed to be helpful in preventing urinary tract infections, and scientists now think this same function may be useful in blocking the bacteria responsible for ulcers and certain oral bacteria that can lead to gum disease. Current research indicates that approximately 10 ounces of cranberry juice cocktail is needed daily to achieve the bacteria-blocking benefits that ward off UTIs, ulcers and gum disease. You can get these benefits in an array of cranberry products. For round-the-clock protection, snack or cook with one of these products at least once a day. Chopped cranberries with whole orange or tangerine make for a great food relish for fish or chicken or any salad.
 
The health-promoting properties of cranberries have been based on folkloric remedies, which have existed for centuries. The healthy giving properties of this fruit were recognized by Native American Indians, and early New England sailors are said to have eaten the vitamin C-rich wild cranberries to prevent scurvy. Recent studies confirm the idea that cranberries and cranberry products are beneficial to health.
 
Anti-cancer - In 1996 laboratory studies conducted by University of Illinois scientists and published in Planta Medica demonstrated the potential anticarcinogenic properties of cranberries. More recently researchers at the University of Western Ontario demonstrated, using an animal model, that human breast cancer cells showed significantly lower incidence of tumor development when the experimental group's diet was supplemented with cranberries. Although these results are very preliminary, compounds in cranberries may prove to be a potent cancer fighter.
 
Flavonoids have been shown to function as potent antioxidants both in vitro and in vivo and may reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. Cranberries contain significant amounts of flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds that have been demonstrated to inhibit low density lipoprotein oxidation. Ongoing research continues to suggest that cranberries may offer a natural defense against atherosclerosis.
 
Peptic ulcers are increasingly being attributed to infection by Helicobacter pylori bacteria, as opposed to stress and/or stomach acidity. A high-molecular-weight nondialysable constituent of cranberry juice has been shown to inhibit the adhesion of H. pylori to human gastric mucus in vitro. These preliminary results suggest that cranberry may be beneficial in the prevention of peptic ulcers through the inhibition of H. pylori adhesion to gastric mucus and stomach epithelium.

Easy to store and stay fresh longer made it the ideal food for American whalers and mariners to carry on their voyages to prevent scurvy. In 1810, Captain Henry Hall became the first to successfully cultivate cranberries. By 1871, the first association of cranberry growers in the United States had formed, and now, U.S. farmers harvest approximately 40,000 acres of cranberries each year.
 
Contrary to popular belief, cranberries do not grow in water. They are grown on sandy bogs or marshes. Because cranberries float, some bogs are flooded when the fruit is ready for harvesting giving the allusion to those who pass by at harvest time?
 
Fresh cranberries are available in stores mid-September through December. They are most abundant during peak harvest season-October and November. Cranberries may be stored in the refrigerator for up to four weeks. Before using, sort and rinse cranberries in running water. Buy fresh cranberries in season and freeze them to enjoy them all year long. To freeze fresh cranberries, double wrap them in plastic without washing. When using frozen cranberries in your recipes or formulas, no thawing is necessary. In fact, best results are obtained without thawing.
 
Most of the world's cranberries are cultivated on 39,000 acres in just five states: Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington. Another 8,000 acres are cultivated in the provinces of British Columbia and Quebec, Canada. Delaware, Maine, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, as well as the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Price Edward Island also produce cranberries. Recently, cranberries have been produced in Chile and South America. Of the approximately 1,000 cranberry growers in North America, 500 are in Massachusetts. Approximately 70 percent of these growers are small family farms with less than 20 acres of bog.
 
One of our favorite ways of eating cranberries, beside cranberry/orange sauce is cranberry bread. I am sharing our recipe?
 
Cranberry Bread
1 Loaf
 
Ingredients:
 
1/2 C. Butter
1 Tbs. Grated Orange Peel
3 Large Eggs, Beaten
1 ½ C. All purpose flour
1 C. finely ground Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
2 C. Fresh or Frozen (thawed and drained) Cranberries, Chopped
1 C. Sugar
1tsp. Vanilla
3/4 C. Buttermilk
1/4 Tsp. sea Salt
3/4 - 1 C. Pecans, Chopped (We like lots of nuts)
 
Preheat oven to 350º altitude such as ours 375º. Spray bottom only of 9" X 5" loaf pan with Olive Oil spray. Beat butter, sugar, orange peel and vanilla in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine flour, baking soda and salt, add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating at low speed just until blended. Fold cranberries and nuts into batter. Turn into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool slightly in pan. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
Lena

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 HEALTH TODAY
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