Organic Cranberry Relish

The American tradition of Thanksgiving is considered to have begun in 1621 when the 53 Pilgrims, survivors of the Mayflower crossing sat down to a feast which lasted 3 days with 90 members of the Wampanoag tribe in the New World in October 1621.

Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon), are one of the few fruit native to North America and grow wild in sandy bogs and marshes from the mountains of Georgia to the Canadian maritime provinces. Native Americans used them as medicine, mixed them with dried deer meat to make pemican, their survival food and to dye their clothes, rugs and blankets.

Early German and Dutch settler contributed the name as they thought the flower looked like the head and bill of a crane, so initially they were craneberries! They are a very interesting crop as they are harvested using a technique called ‘wet harvesting’. The bog where they grow is flooded with water and the berries float to the surface and are scooped up.

The vines which they grow on are incredibly long lived, some being more than 100 years old and still producing today. Cultivation and recipes using cranberries began in earnest in the Cape Cod area in the 18th century and today Americans consume some 4,000,000 lbs of cranberries, 20% during the Thanksgiving week!

An excellent source of vitamin C, cranberries were used by early voyagers to prevent scurvy, they now have the reputation of a ‘superfood’ due to their high antioxidant content, ability to lower the risk of urinary tract infections and certain types of cancer. Useful to improve the immune system and defend against bacterial infections.

Credits: Ceri, Zenxin master chef