So many treasured holiday food traditions are born from ancient practices of wellness
I am excited to share with you this next series on the herbs and super foods of the holiday season.
There are records of cranberry use by Native American populations dating back to the early 1500’s (and I’m sure they were in use LONG before that) – the dried berries were mixed with a small amount of maple syrup, dried meat and rendered fat and used as an important food source to survive the long winters.
The Pilgrims began cultivating them in the 1600’s and they became an American staple for sailors to help prevent scurvy on long trips,
~as a topical application to draw poison from wounds,
~as a dye for fabrics
~and as a tea to calm the nerves, improve digestion and overall health.
Today there are over 500 studies that show the benefits of cranberry consumption and supplementation – most remarkable are their ability to help prevent urinary tract infections, improve cardiovascular health, boost immunity, prevent cancer, assist in detoxification of the liver and the blood (=clearer skin anyone??)
Unfortunately many popular cranberry products are loaded with sugars and preservatives that can counteract the effectiveness of the phytochemicals in cranberries – so grabbing a bag of fresh or frozen organic berries this time of year and spending a few minutes in the kitchen is well worth your time.
My sisters and I have a FAVORITE cranberry sauce recipe – its so simple and delicious we use it on everything from Holiday dinners to yogurt to pancake toppings and more 😋,
1 (10 ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice (or use fresh or frozen and crushed it in a high powered blender)
12 ounce package cranberries (fresh or frozen – organic if possible)1/4-1/2 cup honey or other sweetener
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cloves
Directions:
1
Drain the pineapple thoroughly in a fine sieve set over a large measuring cup (push the pineapple against the sieve to drain out any extra juice).
2
Add enough water to the measuring cup (with the juice in it) to make 1 1/4 cups liquid.
3
Place the liquid in a saucepan.
4
Add in cranberries
5
Stir over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil.
6
Continue to boil until most of the berries pop and the mixture is thick, stirring occasionally (about 10 minutes) remove from heat.(you might want to keep a splatter screen or a lid over until the berries are finished popping)
7
Add in drained pineapple ,lemon juice and cloves; sweeten to taste & mix until well combined.
8
Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature.
I hope it will become a favorite of yours too –
Check out this fun Cranberry Ginger Spritzer recipe from @sofabfood.