CRANBERRIES

 

 

Cranberries are a relatively new discovery to me.

 

Oh, I've known Cranberry Sauce for many years -

 

you have it with your turkey at Thanksgiving

or on a sandwich with turkey and Brie

 

but turkey is not a thing we eat very often in this house

 

 - in fact this Christmas I cooked a huge turkey breast for the first time in my ( nearly) 65 years ! 

 

 

and then forgot to serve it with the Cranberry Sauce !!

 

Over the last year or so Cranberries have been there on the supermarket shelves with the other dried fruit and I've bought them home where we've tried them and liked these antioxidant-packed berries.

In Australia you can buy a variety of cranberry products all year round in major supermarkets, including dried and frozen cranberries, cranberry juice, and cranberry sauce. Frozen cranberries can be found in selected retailers, particularly during the festive season.

 

Fresh cranberries are not available in Australia as cranberries cannot be grown here at present.



 

Unfortunately, the climate in Australia has not proven suitable for growing cranberries successfully in commercial quantities.  

 

 

I found this map that shows where Cranberries actually grow - must be too hot for them south of the equator !

 

The harvest looks spectacular. 

All those crimson fruits floating in ponds being scooped up and taken off to be processed.

 



 

 



The most well-known benefit of cranberries is in the prevention of recurring urinary tract infections  UTIs are one of the most common reasons for visiting a doctor about an infection.

The PACs ( proanthocyanidins ) in cranberries interfere with E. coli bacteria ( responsible for 85 percent of UTIs), helping to prevent them from sticking to the cells in the urinary tract, thereby preventing infection.
Regular consumption of cranberries or cranberry products can reduce the risk of a urinary tract infection by as much as 50 percent. ( all this valuable information comes from my research on the internet !!)

Sounds like Cranberries and Blueberries are the new wonder fruits.

All this palaver is just an introduction to a recipe I tried for the first time for Christmas Day.

 

Cranberry Stuffing Balls.

from Taste  magazine

 

4 slices prosciutto           

   1 tablespoon olive oil        

            1/2 red onion, finely chopped    

2 garlic cloves, crushed 

                             2 1/2 cups stale white breadcrumbs            

                            1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped            

     1 egg, lightly beaten            

             1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

50g butter, melted

 

Method :

 * Preheat oven to 200°C. Cut each prosciutto slice lengthways into four pieces. 

 

* Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until onion is soft. Remove to a bowl. Add breadcrumbs, cranberries, egg, sage and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.



 

 

* Shape tablespoons of mixture into 16 balls. Wrap one slice of prosciutto around each ball. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned and heated through. Serve

 

 

 

Extremely yummy.

 

Cheers.