All American Fruit Cranberries Have Been Used In Recipes Long Before The Pilgrims Arrived

The next time you hear someone remark, “It’s as American as apple pie,” you might want to suggest that if they’re looking for the perfect metaphor for wholesomeness and tradition, cranberries are a much better bet.

As one of only three native American fruits (Concord grapes and blueberries are the other two), cranberries were used by Native Americans long before the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth in 1620 and before they became the popular Thanksgiving staple they are today.

At the time of the first Thanksgiving, the Indians probably served their English guests something that resembled cranberry sauce, relish or chutney, although Native Americans in the Massachusetts area still called the tart-sweet berries “sassamansash.” It was the Pilgrims who later named them “crane berry” because the shape of their blossoms resembled the heads of cranes.

Ocean Spray, a national cooperative of 700 cranberry growers from Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wisconsin and parts of Canada, supplies more than 90 percent of all fresh and processed cranberry products in this country. Since 1939, cooks and home economists in Ocean Spray’s Massachusetts Test Kitchen have continued to update classic recipes and to develop new ones using cranberry products like cranfruit drinks, crushed fruit, and Craisins, their new sweetened, dried cranberry.

They’ve created recipes that have moved their little red Thanksgiving berry into the culinary mainstream, one that transcends Pilgrims, Plymouth Rock and even Thanksgiving itself.

Classic Cranberry-Orange Relish

1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries

3/4 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 small orange, peeled and chopped

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Combine cranberries, orange and lemon juices, brown sugar, chopped orange and red pepper in medium saucepan and simmer, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes or until all cranberries pop.

Cool completely to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 day before serving.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

Fruited Brie Bake

Recipe from the Ocean Spray test kitchens.

1 (15-ounce) wheel brie cheese

1/2 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce

1/2 cup apricot preserves

Sliced almonds

Assorted crackers

Slice off top 1/4-inch of brie wheel and set aside. Hollow out center of cheese, leaving 1-inch shell all around. Place in ovenproof serving container slightly larger than cheese. (Reserve leftover cheese for another use.)

Break up cranberry sauce with fork and place in center of cheese. Cover with top of cheese. Spoon apricot preserves over top and sprinkle with almonds. Bake at 350 degrees 8 to 10 minutes or until soft and slightly melted. Serve with crackers.

Yield: 8 servings.

Steamed Cranberry Pudding

The piece de resistance of any holiday meal is a steaming pudding served with brandy hard sauce. You might want to double this recipe and freeze one for Christmas.

1-1/3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup molasses

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons brandy

2 tablespoons oil

1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

1 medium apple, peeled and coarsely shredded

1/4 cup raisins

Brandy Hard Sauce (recipe follows)

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon in large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Combine molasses, sugar, brandy and oil in medium bowl. Stir in cranberries, apple and raisins.

Add fruit mixture to flour mixture and stir until just blended. Spoon into well-greased 6-cup mold and cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Place mold on rack in Dutch oven or steamer. Pour in boiling water halfway up mold. Cover Dutch oven. Set over medium heat and cook, keeping water at simmer, about 2 hours or until wooden pick inserted in center of pudding comes out clean. Remove from Dutch oven and let stand 5 minutes. Unmold onto serving plate. Serve warm with Brandy Hard Sauce.

Yield: 8 servings.

Brandy Hard Sauce

1/2 cup butter

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons brandy

Beat butter in small bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed, then medium speed, until light and fluffy. Add brandy and beat until smooth. Chill until serving time.

Yield: About 1 cup.

Note: Pudding can be made several days ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Wrap first in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Thaw frozen pudding before reheating. To reheat, remove plastic wrap, then rewrap pudding in foil and heat at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.

Cranberry Chutney

1-1/2 cups fresh cranberries

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup currants

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup peeled and diced apple

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon minced candied ginger

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced onion

1/4 cup water

Combine cranberries, brown sugar, currants, celery, apple, walnuts, ginger, lemon juice, onion and water in medium saucepan and simmer, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes.

Cool completely to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 day before serving.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

Oatmeal-Cranberry-White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Recipe from the Ocean Spray test kitchens.

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 cups dried cranberries

1 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

Using electric mixer, beat together butter and brown sugar in medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well.

Combine oats, flour, salt and baking soda in separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.