Cranberries are berries with a sweet and slightly sour taste which are good for you.
They have antioxidant and antibacterial properties, and their juice prevents and fights infections of the urinary tract (they are a very effective natural remedy in case of cystitis) and gums.
Where to find them?
The United States and Canada are the largest producers of these fruits. In Italy it’s not always easy to find them, but between autumn and winter they are in season and stocked in grocery stores ready to be used in festive dishes. Cranberries can’t be far from the table on Thanksgiving Day together with the traditional stuffed turkey.
How to choose cranberries
The good ones can be recognized first of all by their color. They need to be a beautiful bright red, close to burgundy.
They need to be firm, shiny, and compact without any dents or blemishes.
If they are too dark, they have probably already reached an excessive level of ripeness.
Cranberry sauce: the recipe
If you are lucky enough to find them, don’t miss out on the chance to make a dessert or prepare this delicious, sweet sauce with a sour aftertaste that goes perfectly with game and selected white meats like turkey.
Wash 12 oz of cranberries and dissolve 7 oz of sugar with 1 cup of water in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Add the cranberries and cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes.
Add the grated peel of an orange and its juice and stir well removing the foam that creates on the surface.
Allow to cool and serve at room temperature.
Flavored sauce
You can cook the cranberries with orange juice or even with some port wine and spices like star anise.
To give it a sweeter taste add a teaspoon of arbutus or acacia honey.
Apple sauce
Another fruit-based sauce that you can serve with cranberries to accompany meat is apple sauce.
It’s prepared by baking two peeled and chopped apples mixed with brown sugar, a couple of tablespoons of cider, a cup of lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Once ready, use a fork to crush the apples and reduce them to cream.
Some ideas for the Holidays
Prepare the sauce and fill sterilized glass jars and give them to your friends together with a leaflet that lists all the ingredients used and the various possible accompaniments.
With the cranberry sauce you can also stuff a panettone or pandoro. Finally, with fresh berries you can decorate numerous dishes and make cocktails for a quiet festive evening.