National Eat a Cranberry Day

Today, November 27, is National Eat a Cranberry Day

This year it falls after Thanksgiving, but I bet you still have some leftovers don't you?

Cranberries are a very useful and versatile berry.  Grown in bogs in New England and Wisconsin, I often vacation in Wisconsin cranberry country.  Native Americans applied crushed cranberries to wounds.  We now know that Cranberries contain hippuric acid, which has antibacterial effects on the body, as well as natural antibiotic ingredients, which would make it perfect for treating wounds.  The berries were also used them to treat scurvy, a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C.  Mariners in the 18th century carried a large supply of cranberries on their voyages to treat this illness.  It was much easier than trying to keep oranges.

There is a great museum with Native American and Cranberry History in in Sawyer County Wisconsin.  The Sawyer County Historical Society just moved into a new building, but when we last visited they had a lot of things in a small space and a great collection of vintage snow mobiles.

More recently, these tart red berries have been shown to prevent urinary tract infections, reduce the risk of kidney stones, and help fight gingivitis. For a peck of great-tasting cranberry recipes check out the Wisconsin Cranberry Growers Association website. 

I love making things with cranberries and have posted recipes previously.  You can check out my highly recommended cranberry sauce here. And we have a set of recipes and other things you can do with cranberries for the holiday here.

Enjoy this amazing fruit on its special day!