National Cranberry Relish Day – November 22

Cranberries, along with concord grapes and blueberries, are known as some of the commercially grown fruits that are native to the United States.

HISTORY

Native Americans were the first to cultivate the cranberry in North America but cranberries weren’t sold commercially until the middle of the 18th century. Revolutionary war veteran Henry Hall is often credited with planting the first-known commercial cranberry bed in Dennis, Massachusetts in 1816.

“By the mid-19th century, what we know as the modern cranberry industry was in full swing and the competition among bog growers was fierce. The business model worked on a small scale at first: families and members of the community harvested wild cranberries and then sold them locally or to a middle man before retail. As the market expanded to larger cities like Boston, Providence and New York, growers relied on cheap labor from migrant workers. Farmers competed to unload their surpluses fast—what was once a small, local venture, became a boom or bust business.”*

The first nod to cranberry sauce can be found in the 1796 cookbook “American Cookery” by Amelia Simmons, which calls for serving roast turkey with “boiled onions and cranberry-sauce,” according to The Washington Post.

HEALTH BENEFITS

▪️Anthocyanins are compounds that give cranberries their red color and are powerful antioxidants that may be stronger than vitamin E.

▪️Since the turn of the century, cranberries have been used as a folk remedy for the treatment of bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs), which cause frequent and painful urination.

RECIPE: Cranberry Orange Relish

Here’s an easy recipe that you can make days in advance, to save time. It does have sugar to counterbalance the tartness of the cranberries, however if you use this as a condiment with your turkey or other items it will help to balance the sugar load.

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup sugar
½ cup orange juice
½ cup water
12 oz fresh cranberries rinsed and picked through
pinch of salt
1 cinnamon stick
1 piece of orange peel

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Combine sugar, orange juice, and water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine.
  2. Add cranberries, salt, cinnamon stick and orange peel.
  3. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently.
  4. Continue cooking, for about 10 minutes, or until all or most of the cranberries have popped.
  5. Let cool for at least 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Can be made up to 3 days in advance.

Recipe is adapted from here: https://www.momontimeout.com/best-ever-cranberry-sauce/…

HOW TO CELEBRATE

Post your cranberry recipes, or your favorite cranberry treat, using the hashtags #CranberryRelishDay and #innerathleteus.

Sources: Nationaldaycalendar, mom on timeout, *Smithsonian magazine, insider.com, cranberries.org