Seeing red

by Rona Trachtenberg

Four hundred years ago, the Algonquin, the Chippewa, and the Cree Nations gathered wild cranberries in what is now Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington State, British Columbia, and Quebec. So says Devon Mihesuah, a professor at the University of Kansas and an enrolled citizen of the Choctaw Nation.

His 2013 National Geographic article explained, “The berry was called sassamenesh (by the Algonquin) and ibimi (by the Wampanoag and LenniLenape), which translates literally as ‘bitter’ or ‘sour berries.’ Cranberries were used for cooking, textile dyes, and medicines. They formed them into cakes to store, made tea out of the leaves, used them as bait to trap rabbits, and boiled the fruit to dye porcupine quills for clothing and jewelry.”

Mihesauh continued, “Cranberries are extremely high in antioxidants and are thought to help prevent heart disease. Iroquois and Chippewa used cranberries as a blood purifier, as a laxative, to treat fever, stomach cramps, and a slew of childbirth-related injuries.”

Today, we know that cranberries contain nature’s most powerful antioxidant A-type Proanthocyanidins (aka PACs). PACs are bioactive compounds unique to the cranberry that give this amazing superfruit its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powers. Some research has shown that cranberries have a positive effect on circulation, metabolism, the immune system, and may help prevent bacteria from growing on teeth and even may slow the progression of tumors.

Cranberries are cholesterol free, saturated fat free, low in sodium, and the only fruit that doesn’t contain sugar. They do contain fiber, natural vitamin C, E, A, and K. They can be used in dairy, baked goods, beverages, cereal, jams/sauces, snacks, as nutraceuticals, and even cosmetics.

The original energy bar

One use we can all identify with is “energy bar,” which the Native Americans called pemmican. food historian Ken Albala, of University of the Pacific, explained the recipe. “Native Americans would pound cranberries into a mixture of equal parts ground dried deer meat and fat tallow, then store the mixture in animal skin pouches. The fat preserves it, as does the acidity in the fruit, which lowers the pH and helps resist bacteria. The pemmican would last for months and could be eaten on long journeys as a reliable source of protein and fat.”

Europeans discovered this important caloric necessity during the fur trade. In 1622, once the British imported honey to North America, cranberries became a staple in pies and as a tart side dish for roasted meat, turkey, and fowl.

Fast forward 250 years to the South Coast, which is known as Cranberry Country. We are fortunate our soil is so rich and that we have two generational grower families, living and working in Carver, who have been nurturing the land and producing this versatile berry for decades.

Recipes from the experts

Cranberry Sunflower Crunch Salad Recommended by Decas Farms

Servings: 6-8 Prep time: 20 minutes

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise Juice of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced Pinch of salt and pepper

Salad:

4 cups of shredded green and/or red cabbage 2 cups shredded kale 2 cups shredded carrots 1/2 cup Decas Farms Organic Dried Cranberries 1/2 cup sunflower seeds 1/2 cup chopped green onion 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Directions:

Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Add the cabbage, kale, carrots, Decas Farms Organic Cranberries, sunflower seeds, green onion, and bacon bits to a large salad bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss until combined.

Naturally good, wickedly delicious

Over 80 years ago, three brothers, Nicholas, Charles, and William Decas, set out peddling local produce from a modest pushcart in Plymouth. Their profits allowed them to purchase 15 acres of fertile farmland in Rochester. Nine decades later, the Decas Legacy has over 150 growers and owns 350 acres of family-owned cranberry bogs throughout the Commonwealth. They operate, process, and sell cranberries to 20 countries worldwide.

In 2021, Decas Cranberry Products, Inc. and the retail brand name Decas Farms, in Carver, was acquired by Fruit d’Or, in Villeroy, Quebec to create the largest worldwide producer/distributor of organic cranberries and wild blueberries.

Fruit d’Or founder Martin Le Moine took his 1995 cranberry farming to a new level – organic, when most North American processors showed little interest in going this route. So, Le Moine developed proprietary processing techniques and perfected the art of fighting insects and weeds by natural means.

The Decas Farms website (decasfarms.com) contains a plethora of recipes for every palate, in addition to detailed ingredients, photos, and shopping options. Their very useful FAQ section includes this important, healthy recipe tip: “You can add less sugar in your holiday cranberry sauce and at the same time neutralize the acid by adding 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda when cooking cranberries.”

From flower to package

Over 75 years ago, the Rhodes family farmed South Coast land as Edgewood Bogs Cranberry Growers. Throughout the decades, Edgewood grew to become one of the top producers of Massachusetts cranberries. In 2005, third generation Matt and Cindy Rhodes purchased Edgewood and 300 acres of working cranberry bogs from the family, and now their sons (fourth generation) are involved in the business too.

In the early 2000s, Edgewood was one of the first cranberry growers in the US to become Global G.A.P. Certified, which is an extensive audit conducted each year to analyze food safety, environment and biodiversity, workers’ health, safety and welfare, integrated crop management, integrated pest control, quality management systems, and hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP).

Matt continues to run Edgewood Bogs, LLC while his wife Cindy became CEO of the first woman-owned brand, called Cape Cod Select.

In 2009, Cindy couldn’t believe grocery stores sold every other fruit, including papaya and dragon fruit, all the time, but not America’s Original Superfruit, cranberries! So she made it her mission to bring this healthy fruit to market and available for consumers year-round. “As a brand we’ve shown grocery buyers how frozen cranberries are a year-round product and not just for the holidays,” said the determined CEO. “Our Q1 sales actually beat out our Q4 sales! From there, we educated consumers, with marketing and social media, that there are so many wonderful ways to use cranberries other than for homemade cranberry sauce and holiday desserts.”

Cape Cod Select offers frozen cranberries and smoothie blends (not juice or dried like many other cranberry companies) as well as a new “pantry favorites” line that includes delicious cranberry chutney and cranberry mustard. They have plans to expand this line with more items in 2023. Unique holiday gifts can be purchased through capecodselect.com.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Baked French Toast Recommended by Cape Cod Select

Servings: 4-6 Prep time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

6 thick slices of brioche About 6-10 tsps whipped cream cheese Handful of frozen Cape Cod Select cranberries 3 eggs 2 cups half & half (or a combination of milk and half & half) 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder 2 tbsp melted butter Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

Lightly grease a baking dish and layer the brioche slices inside. Add dollops of cream cheese and frozen cranberries in the nooks and crannies. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, half & half, sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon powder. Pour this custard mixture all over the brioche, making sure every part gets soaked. Let it soak for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Bake at 350° covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and broil for 2 minutes. Brush melted butter over the brioche and dust with powdered sugar. Serve with a drizzle of syrup and enjoy!