C R A N B E R R Y
Before the Europeans set foot on North American soil, the Native American inhabitants of
the continent were already well-versed in the harvesting and preparation of the cranberry. The
round, red berries grew wild in marshes and bogs along the East Coast. Although not unknown
in England, cranberries were effectively introduced to the Pilgrims by the Indians, who used them
for medicine and dyes as well as food. (The early settlers called the berries "crane berries,"
because the white blossom and stem resembled the head and neck of a crane.) The Indians
taught the Pilgrims to crush the berries with stones, combine them with dried meat and fat
drippings, and form small cakes out of the mixture. These cakes, called pemmican, kept well and
could be eaten throughout the winter. Americans have been devising new cranberry concoctions
ever since. And in the state where the Pilgrims first harvested berries growing abundantly in the
wild, the fruit has evolved into a viable commercial crop. More than half of the cranberries eaten
in the US today are grown on Cape Cod. The berry is also an important crop in the states of
New Jersey and Wisconsin. Cranberries are grown in cooperation with nature, in a manner that
our immigrant and Native American ancestors would recognize and applaud. Pesticide use is
minimal; instead, geese weed the bogs and swallows harvest the unfriendly bugs. Some growers
also place beehives near the bogs to promote pollination. The berries are proof that organic
farming, like Thanksgiving, is a treasured part of our heritage. Harvested in September, fresh
berries are readily available throughout the country in the fall. The fruit will keep between four
and eight weeks if refrigerated when bought. Like most berries, they should never be washed
until just before use or they'll spoil.
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