Those Tart Little Cranberries

One of the biggest crops produced in Massachusetts is cranberries, that little fruit that helps make the holiday season red. In fact, the Bay State is not only the second-largest producer of cranberries in the country, but it’s also home to Ocean Spray, the cooperative comprising about 700 growers around the U.S.

From mid-September to mid-November, these growers flood their bogs and use machines to churn the water and cranberry vines so that the fruits rise to the surface, where they’re siphoned off and loaded into trucks. Then they’re packed and shipped off just in time for the holidays.

But I think these little red gems are underutilized. Part of the problem is that their natural bitterness means that most of us don’t feel like popping them in our mouths like grapes or cherries. On the positive side, fresh cranberries may be readily available only through the Christmas holidays, but they freeze well and can usually be found in the supermarket freezer section.

Don’t just think of them as a relish or condiment. As an ingredient, the cranberry’s natural acidic tartness cuts through heavy creamy textures. That means they can be at home in sorbets, tarts, breads, and pies. Mrs. Farmboy created a delicious oatmeal-cranberry cookie recipe that’s a favorite of mine. If you’re intrigued and would like to explore your options, Ocean Spray has a whole host of recipes of all kinds. I’m not sure I’d go with the sweet and saucy tacos using jellied cranberry sauce, but I might be tempted by the ultimate party meatballs, the cranberry deviled eggs, or the Italian sausage and cranberry orzo.

But in my mind, the acidic/tart component also pairs well with rich meats such as venison, duck, braised beef, and pork roasts and obviously, turkey. We’ve all paired turkey with cranberry sauce. I especially like a post-holiday sandwich of turkey, dressing, gravy, and cranberry sauce with lettuce and mayo. Mrs. Farmboy keeps a bottle of cranberry mustard around just for turkey and chicken sandwiches.

As for other rich meats, here are recipes for a beef pot roast with cranberry sauce, Finnish meatballs with cranberry and sour cream sauce, and venison and cranberry pie. What makes them delicious is the balance – the contrast between the rich sauce and the tart berries. By the way, they are rich in vitamin C.

Now’s our chance to try some of these recipes while cranberries are readily available. And we can freeze some for future use.