Cranberries are one of only three native fruits to North America; blueberries and grapes are also native fruits of North America. Native Americans used cranberries, which they called "sassamenesh" or "ibimi" dependent upon their tribe. The names meant "bitter berry" or "sour berries". Native Americans used these berries in many ways, most famously in pemmican. Pemmican is made of dried deer meat and fat along with cranberries making it incredibly "shelf-stable". Cranberries are a good source of vitamin C so pemmican helped fishermen and travelers avoid scurvy. Early settlers called this berry a "craneberry" because the blossom looked like the head of a sandhill crane.
In the United States, Wisconsin grows more cranberries than any other state, providing more than half of the national supply. Cranberries don't actually grow in water. They grow on low shrubs which the growers flood the during harvest, allowing them to access the berries more easily than hand picking off of the long vines. For a science experiment, have children place cranberries in water. Healthy cranberries will float, rotten ones will sink to the bottom. Cut the cranberries in half and you can see their air pockets which allow them to float in water. The air in the cranberries also allows them to bounce! String them with a needle and thread with popcorn or cereal to make garland for your trees outside for the birds to enjoy. You won't want to do this if you have bears in your area, though; another name for cranberries are "bear berries".
Today, Americans enjoy cranberries as a relish, in a variety of baked goods such as muffins, cookies, quick breads and cobblers. Because cranberries are so tart, many recipes using cranberries have a great deal of added sugar.
To reduce sugar used try:
Baking cranberries with apples and cinnamon
Adding cranberries and apple pieces to wild rice, quinoa or orzo pasta
In a salsa with avocados, jalapenos, cilantro and lime juice
Roasting with carrots
Salads of lettuce, kale, spinach or shredded brussel sprouts topped with dried cranberries, roasted nuts and cheese
Serve dried cranberries on cucumber slices spread with ricotta cheese.
In the store, choose plump cranberries with tight skin, avoiding wrinkled berries. Cranberries will last up to 2 months in the refrigerator and 9 months in the freezer. Enjoy cranberries year round by using dried cranberries in your recipes.
We made Cranberry Gingerbread muffins for play group.
We mixed-
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking power
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
In another bowl we added-
3/4 cup water
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
Add wet ingredients to dry just until incorporated.
Lightly toss in 1 cup of cranberries cut in half.
Place in roughly 18 muffin tins.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
If you are child care provider in California you can receive cash reimbursements for providing healthy food to the children in your care. If you are a child care provider in El Dorado, Alpine, Placer, Nevada or Mono county our agency can help you enroll in the California Child Care Food Program.
Recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables varies with age.
Children ages 2-3 need 1- 1.5 cups of fruits and 1- 1.5 cups of vegetables each day.
Children ages 4-8 need 1-2 cups of fruits and 1.5-2.5 cups of vegetables each day.
Children ages 9-13 need 1.5-2 cups of fruits and 1.5-3.5 cups of vegetables each day.
Teens ages 14-18 need 1.5 -2.5 cups of fruits and 2.5-4 cups of vegetables each day.
Keep in mind that fruits and vegetables are rich in essential vitamins and minerals needed for optimum growth and development. Check out CDC's fruit and vegetable calculator for an more accurate recommendation based upon age, sex, and activity levels.
Remember your plate.......
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