Health & Medical Food & Drink

Cranberries, A Magical Food That Tastes Great And Is Good For Your Health

So, you ask, what is the 'Cranberry', and is it really a 'Superfood'? The Cranberry shrub is a fairly innocuous small evergreen frequently grown in acidic lowlands in the colder areas of North America.
The berry of the cranberry shrub begins as a pure pale white, however as it grows and becomes ripe it changes to a rich cherry hue.
Although it is actually a member of the same plant group as the bilberry and the blueberry, the cranberry berry is marginally further tart, which, as a result helps to balance out the pleasing sweetness, which puts it in that unique niche in the culinary universe of ingredients that work well with meat based meals and sweeter courses, such as cakes, cookies, fruits, pastries and candies.
Cranberries possibly were given their name from the fact that they are frequently consumed by cranes (ie 'crane-berry') - although some experts suspect that the true etymology of the name is rooted in the observable fact in the earlier stages of the bush's growth, it looks a little bit like the shape of a crane.
No matter what the real etymology, the name 'cranberry' is now established through the whole world.
Cranberries represent a major economic cash crop in some US States (in the north), and now have a really unique and historic place in The traditional culture of the American nation as some people believe that they were offered to early settlers by the aboriginal population.
As a result, cranberry sauce is a necessary piece of the beloved thanksgiving meal eaten by many millions of Americans every year since.
The majority of the yearly cranberry yield is converted to cranberry juice and cranberry jelly, however more and more of it is now sold in its raw form as a consequence of health benefit claims that cranberry is one of the 'superfoods', having very beneficial nutritional content and antioxidant 'reducing agent' characteristics.
Historically, these versatile berries were grown in 'cranberry beds' positioned in moisture rich marsh, but latterly the beds are located in upland regions with a water table that is on the shallow side.
In these regions, contrary to popular belief, the beds are not flooded but are continuously irrigated to maintain a high moisture level in the cranberry beds.
Cranberry juice is now sold every country, and as well as the well known 'crimson' juice, is also available in a clear or 'white' form which is made from the younger berries.
Cranberries' Health Benefits Some people believe that the juice of the cranberry is blessed with healthy benefits which aid in preventing bacterial infections in the urinary system.
Also, this delicious berry has been useful in dealing with many other troubles, such as a treatment for flesh wounds, bowel problems, diabetes, stomach upsets, and as an aid to a healthful liver.
Some research has been done which suggests that everyday consumption of cranberry juice may help to reduce the chances of heart conditions.
As with all similar medical claims, one should exercise exceptional discretion - professional opinion is still divided and the correct reason for increasing your consumption of these versatile berries is the observable fact they really taste wonderful! As detailed previously, these versatile berries are used in preparing both desserts and meat based dishes, with the best known use being as an accompaniment to the traditional roast turkey.
Don't let this 'good old fashioned' use put you off though, these versatile and tasty berries are also quite superb when used in sweet dishes.
If you are looking for some delectable recipes using cranberries you will find plenty of these tasty recipes on the web, but to help you test this theory for yourself, here is a flavourful cranberry recipe: Cranberry Crumble Recipe Ingredient list One Thick-skinned orange Water (one cup) 1/2 cup Granulated sugar replacement 4 cup These versatile and tasty berries 1 tablespoon Unsalted butter 1 pack Biscuit dough (to do eight biscuits).
Preparation Roughly grate the rind of the orange, and reserve.
Juice the orange.
Combine the orange juice, the grated rind, moisture, granulated sugar (or equivalent sugar substitute), these tasty berries and unsalted butter in a medium non-stick pan.
Bring to a boil & heat for 1 min to produce a nice rich cranberry sauce.
Split the cranberry sauce evenly amongst eight greased ovenproof dishes or a medium casserole dish.
Spoon the biscuit dough on top of the cranberry sauce.
Cook at 230 degree c (450 f) for ten minutes, reduce heat setting & oven bake at 350 f (180 c) for 20 minutes longer.
8 servings.
Only 98 calories per helping !

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