CRANBERRIES-MORE THAN JELLY

The ‘Autumn  Experience’, the crisp shorter days, the chilly longer nights, the bright falling leaves and the constant reminders of holidays ahead, is so powerful it often overshadows full appreciation of the harvest of the Harvest Season. Fall has as robust a produce yield as spring or summer. There are marvelous vegetable, beets, kale, turnips, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower and squash etc. and five major fruits: pumpkin, summer’s last gift (Sept.26, 2024& Nov. 8, 2018), apples (Nov.2, 2017 & Oct. 1, 2020), grapes (Oct. 29, 2020), pears (Nov. 16, 2017) and cranberries (Nov. 30, 2017 &Nov. 24, 2018 & Oct. 31, 2019)

All these fruits are wonderful ingredients for dishes served throughout a meal, but they truly shine in desserts. I’ve given links to articles about each if you want to try some recipes, with the holidays approaching. Today, I want to talk about cranberries, because not only are they under used but, if you’re a Christmas turkey family as we are, I see some problems on the horizon.

Cranberries, native to North America, are unique. They are grown in fields called ‘bogs’ and are not picked randomly as other berries, but grow apace, ripening at the same time. When the fruit is mature, the bogs are flooded, the berries pop off the bushes and float to the surface where they are scooped up. It should be noted that cranberries are dry, hard and bitter, completely inedible. The flooded bogs are then allowed to freeze solid and the ice protects the bushes until spring, when the bogs are drained and the bushes grow as any other berry. 

Given the fact that there is only one harvest per year, one understands why fresh cranberries have such a short season. However they keep for two months in the fridge and I know they keep frozen, simply in their bags, for a year-probably longer but I always run out. Cranberry compote, quick and easy to make, can be canned and also freezes well and  is wonderful alone, with other fruits, as a pastry filling or a companion to poultry pork or game.

So I question why this low Cal, high fiber, vitamin packed fruit is only preserved, commercially, as juice, jelly and a jam-like sauce (not compote)? Nothing to use as an ingredient in the many delicious cranberry recipes available and even those items have become hard to find after Thanksgiving. I traditionally made a mold of whole berry sauce and orange for Christmas. Now I make a salsa from berries I’ve stored.

 I love cranberries’ sweet-tart taste and enjoy them all year, but especially like to serve them over the December holidays. Their bright red color and distinctive flavor are perfectly attuned to the season. They’re just coming to market now, so please, please do you a favor and try some of these recipes to repeat later and stock up on enough berries to see yo through the winter holidays.

Below are recipes for simple cranberry compote, salsa and 13 delicious dessert recipes. If you want to see recipes for using the berries in dishes served in other meal courses, click on Nov. 30, 2017.

RECIPES 

Compote: Yield about 2 ¾ cups cranberries- From Recipes 1-2-3 by Rozanne Gold
3 cups cranberries
2/3 cup brown sugar
¾ cup dried cherries
12 black peppercorns OR freshly ground black pepper
Pinch salt
Bring sugar, salt and pepper to a boil in 1 cup water, add fruits. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 min. until berries have popped and sauce has thickened. Cool then chill.

My Easy Cranberry Salsa: Yield a bit over 1 cup with recipe, over 2 cups using canned sauce —all measurements are approximate and can be adjusted. (1) 14 oz. can whole berry sauce can be substituted for the *marked ingredients, making this super easy

1 cup cranberries*
¼ cup packed brown sugar*
¼ cup finely diced onion
½ green bell pepper diced
Meat of 1 orange
1/3 cup orange peel in fine Julianne no more than ½ inch long
½ tsp. finely diced jarred jalapeño pepper- optional and to taste OR freshly ground black pepper
Mix everything together, adjust flavors and allow to sit, covered, in the refrigerator for several days before serving. Excellent with poultry, pork, ham and veal.
NOTE: Keeps chilled for several weeks

Angel Pie: Serves 6-8: From James Beard’s American Cookery

4 egg whites

1 cup sugar

¼ tsp. cream of tartar

Filling

4 egg yolks

½ cup sugar

1/3 tsp. salt

1 tsp. lemon juice

¾ cup strained whole berry cranberry sauce

1 cup whipping cream

Beat egg whites to soft peaks and gradually add sugar and cornstarch, beating to stiff peaks. Spread in a well-oiled pie plate and bake at 300 deg. for 1 hr. When golden, turn off oven and allow to cool on rack 

with door ajar.

For the filling, beat the yolks slightly and place in a double boiler with the salt and lemon juice. Stir until beginning to thicken and add ¾ cup strained cranberry sauce using heated, strained whole berry sauce OR prick 1 cup cranberries and place in a pan with ¼ cup water. When it begins to boil add the ½ cup sugar. Boil 5 min. until translucent and cool; stir until thick. Strain and have ready to add to pie filling.

Whip cream; spread half in shell, spoon in filling then, top with the remaining cream and chill 24 hr. or overnight.

NOTE: Keeps for 2 days in the refrigerator but reserve and spoon on the top layer of cream just before serving

Angel Nests: Serves 6-8

3 egg whites

1 cup sugar

1 Tbs. flour

1 Tbs. cornstarch

Compote-see next recipe or cranberry compote-11/30/17

Beat egg whites to soft peaks; add sugar gradually beating until stiff peaks form, adding flour and cornstarch along the way. Shape the mixture on an 8 inch round template, using the back of a fork to raise and pattern the sides into a nest shape. Bake at 250 degrees for 60 min. Leave in oven for 30 min. then cool on a wire rack*. Fill centers with cranberry compote (post 11/30/17), Cranberry-Pear Compote (below), sauce or prick 2 cups cranberries and place in a pan with ¼ cup water. When it begins to boil add the 1 cup sugar. Boil 5 min. until translucent. Cool before filling meringue nest.

I would imagine Angel Cakes can be made in individual portions, and would be most attractive. Judging by the timing to cook basic meringues, I don’t think there would be much adjustment to the directions either. Something you might want to try.

*NOTE: Nest can be made several weeks ahead and stored in an air-tight container.

Cranberry-Pear Compote in Syrup: Serves 4 Serves 6 using suggestion below* From Rozanne Gold’s Recipes 1-2-3

2 large Bosc or Comice pears

2 cups cranberries

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

Peel, core pears and cut each into 8 slices. Bring water and sugar to a boil, When sugar is dissolved, add fruit and simmer 30 min. or until pears are firm-tender. Remove fruit, cool and chill. Boil syrup down to ¾ to 1 cup, cool to room temp and pour over fruit and, if not serving at once, chill. After serving save any extra syrup to use over pancakes etc.

*Serving suggestion: Present bowl of fruit accompanied by slices of pound cake to act as bedding. This raises the portion total to 6.

NOTE: The compote will hold about 5 days in the refrigerator. Do not freeze.

Cranberry Orange Walnut Ice Cream: Serves 6-Very quick and easy to make.

2 cups cranberries

¾ cup sugar

1 orange –quartered, seeds removed

½ cup chopped, toasted walnuts

1 pint vanilla ice cream- softened

Coarsely chop berries and orange, with rind. Stir in sugar and blend fruit mix, making sure the orange rind is pulverized, add walnuts and stir into softened ice cream. Pour into a mold and freeze until firm. Unmold and serve garnished with cranberries and walnuts. Or spoon ice cream into a freezer container; a couple of hours before serving fill a decorative freezer-proof bowl with individual scoops of ice cream and spoon them into dessert dishes at table

*This ice cream recipe is packed with fruit. I love it this way but some people, especially children, may prefer it if the quantity of vanilla ice cream is doubled in proportion to the fruit.

NOTE: Keeps as long as commercial ice cream in the freezer.

Cranberry Sherbet: Makes 2 quarts-From The Joy of Cooking

1 packet unflavored gelatin

2 cups cold water

1 cup boiling water

3 Tbs. lemon juice

¾ cup sugar

1 cup bottled cranberry juice

Soften gelatin in ½ cup cold water for 15 min. dissolve in boiling water. Add all the other ingredients and simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour into a mold or ice trays. I like to puree it when it’s almost frozen solid. This eliminated ice crystals and smooths it.

NOTE: Keeps as long as a commercial product in the freezer.

Cranberry Refrigerator Cake: Serves 6-8-From America’s Cookbook

3 cups cranberries

1 ½ cups water

1/3 cup raisins

3 figs- finely chopped

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

10 dates- finely chopped

1 cup sugar

1 small sponge or pound cake

Cook cranberries in water until skins pop; strain, pushing down on solids. Add fruits and nuts to strained juice, mix, cover and simmer 5 min .Remove from heat, add sugar, stir to dissolve and cool, return cranberries to mix. Line a greased mold with the cake slices, add a layer of the fruit mix, then a layer of cake, repeat, ending with cake. Chill in refrigerator, unmold and serve with whipped cream.

NOTE: Keeps for 2-3 days.

Cranberry-Nut Refrigerator Torte: Serves 12-16-From The Settlement Cookbook

2 ¼ cups flour

1 cup sugar

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. EACH baking powder AND baking soda

1 cup chopped walnuts

1cup cranberries

1 cup chopped dates

2 oranges – zest grated-juice reserved

2 eggs beaten

1 cup buttermilk OR plain yogurt (see note*)

¾ cup oil

1 cup orange juice-includes reserved juice from oranges

1cup sugar

Sift first 5 dry ingredients together. Stir in nuts, fruits and zest. Lightly beat or whisk eggs, buttermilk and oil and add to flour mixture. Stir until blended. Pour into a greased 10 inch tube pan. Bake in a 350 deg. pre-heated oven for 1 hr. Let stand in pan until lukewarm. Remove to a rack placed over a wide dish. Combine orange juice and 1 cup sugar and pour over cake. Set cake in a deep refrigerator or freezer proof dish and pour drippings over cake again. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 24hr. before serving. Dust top with sugar if desired.

NOTE: Cake keeps in refrigerator for 2 weeks or more, frozen for several months but thaw before serving.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Pie: Serves 6-8-From The Journal Cookbook

(1) 9 inch pie shell-almost baked

20 oz. cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1 ½ Tbs. flour

¼ tsp. EACH orange and lemon zest

Pinch Salt

3 eggs, +1 egg white

2 Tbs. cream

½ tsp. vanilla

TOPPING

1 can whole cranberry sauce

2 Tbs. sugar

1 ½ Tbs. cornstarch

1 tsp. EACH lemon juice and zest

Whip the cheese fluffy; add the next 4 ingredients and beat to mix well. Add the eggs and white separately, beating well after each; add the cream and vanilla and mix until well blended. Pour in the pie shell and bake in a preheated 450 deg. oven 7 min. Reduce heat to200 deg. and bake 15 min. Cool.

Combine first 3 topping ingredients in a saucepan and stir over low heat until clear; blend in juice and zest. Cool and spread over cheese filling. Chill until serving.

Cranberry-Raisin Pie: Serves 6-8*- From America’s Cookbook

Pastry for a 2 crust pie**

1 cup cranberries-halved

½ cup raisins

½ cup diced apple

¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans–optional

1 tsp. butter-melted

¾ cup sugar

1 Tbs. flour

Combine all ingredients and fill a pastry lined pie tin. Top with another pastry round. Slash the top and bake at 350 deg. For 40 min.**Optionally, cut the top crust into strips. This colorful filling is attractive with a lattice top.

*Easy Substitutes: 1) Use the compote listed above to fill the pastry lined pie tin, cover with 2nd, round and proceed as above.

Cranberry Crisp: Serves 6

12 oz. fresh cranberries=2 cups

1/3 cup sugar

½ cup chopped walnuts

1 egg

½ cup of flour

½ cup sugar

¾ cup butter- melted

Lightly grease a 9 inch pie plate. Fill with berries, top with 1/3 cup sugar and nuts. Beat egg until foamy, beat in butter, flour and remaining sugar until batter is smooth. Pour over berries. Bake in a preheated 325 deg. oven until browned, about 45 min. This is best served warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

NOTE: This can be stored, before baking, the berries in the pie plate, covered, and the batter in a container in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Combine and bake.

Chocolate Cranberry Biscotti: Yield 30-Adapted from Diabetic Desserts. There are many recipes for these biscotti, but I chose this because it tastes wonderful and is acceptable for this very specific diet. The nutritional information is below. The cocoa powder is optional for those who don’t like chocolate.

3 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup sliced toasted almonds

2 Tbs. skim milk

Combine first 4 ingredients. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until well blended, add flour mix and beat to blend. Stir in fruit and nuts. Turn dough out on a lightly floured board and knead 4-6 times, roll into a 20 inch log, place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and brush with milk. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 30 min. Cool 10 min. and cut into 30 slices. Place slices on the cookie sheet and cook 20 min. turning once. Cool on racks and store airtight.

Cranberry Cake: Serves 8-10

5 Tbs. butter- 1 Tbs. reserved

2 ½ cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

¾ cup milk

2 tsp. baking powder

1tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 cups cranberries

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Prick cranberries and place in a pan with the water. When it begins to boil add the 1 cup sugar. Boil 5 min. until translucent and cool. Grease a spring form pan. Cut 4 Tbs. butter into flour and sugar. When mix is in pea sized pieces, remove ¾ cup and reserve. To mixture in bowl, add eggs, milk, baking powder and vanilla and beat until batter is smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread up and around sides of pan, lining pan and forming a hollow in the center. Use strained cranberry mixture to fill the hollow in the batter, reserving any extra for decoration or other use. Work remaining butter and cinnamon into the reserved to form crumbs and sprinkle over the top of the cake. Bake in a preheated 400 deg. oven for 8 min. Reduce heat and bake for 30 min. at 350 deg. Cool on a rack for 5 min. and loosen edges with a knife before opening pan latch. Can be served warm.

Easy Berry Cream Cake: Serves 4-6–A quick, elegant answer to the problem of providing a nice dessert when there isn’t time to prepare one from scratch, and a tasty end to a meal anytime.

1 Pound cake – purchased or made from a mix*

1 can whole berry sauce – 2 cans for a larger cake

1 pint whipping cream or 1 container of whipped topping—2 for a larger cake

Cut the cake into 3 layers using toothpicks, a ruler and a knife OR 2 layers for a small pound cake. Spread

½ topping on cut side of a layer, cover with sauce, add another cake layer and repeat. On top layer spoon sauce in a decorative line down the center of the top. Refrigerate until serving.

Variation: For a large or round regular vanilla cake. Add to ingredients

1 box Vanilla Pudding mix

Combine the pudding mix and berries with juice, reserving 2 Tbs. berries, in a saucepan and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and chill. Whip the cream and fold all but 1/3 cup into the chilled berry mixture. Spread on the two or three cake layers. Garnish the top with the reserved cream then the reserved berries.

*1 lb. boxed pound cakes can be purchased from The Dollar Store