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Barnstable Massachusetts Flower & Florist Information Directory

Established in 1888 to standardize the measure with which cranberries are sold, the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association (CCCGA) is one of the country's oldest farmers' organizations. Today, the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association represents approximately 250 growers throughout Massachusetts. This unity has given growers both a single voice and collective strength in promoting the cranberry industry.

The Cranberry Institute is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1951 to further the success of United States and Canadian cranberry growers through health, agricultural and environmental stewardship research as well as cranberry promotion and education.

Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the genus Vaccinium subgenus Oxycoccus, or in some treatments, in the distinct genus Oxycoccus. They are found in acidic bogs throughout the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

cranberry fruit on a cranberry bush

Cranberries are low, creeping shrubs or vines up to 10 cm tall (often less), with slender, wiry stems, not thickly woody, and small evergreen leaves. The flowers are dark pink, with very distinct reflexed petals, leaving the style and stamens fully exposed and pointing forward. The fruit is a true berry that is larger than the leaves of the plant; it is initially white, but turns a deep red when fully ripe. It is edible, with an acidic taste that can overwhelm its sweetness.

Cranberries are a traditional Thanksgiving food in the United States.

No matter what preparation method you choose, cook cranberries only until they pop because overcooking gives them a bitter taste. Since cranberries are almost 90% water, do not thaw frozen cranberries before cooking them. Thawing will cause the fruit to break down, resulting in soft cranberries. Cranberries may be baked with a sweetener to make a topping or sauce. They are also good chopped with oranges to make a relish.

This is a recipe for a great tasting cranberry sauce that anyone can make. The key is to start with good cranberries.

Cranberry Sauce Ingredients

• 12 oz. package of fresh cranberries, rinsed, sorted and trimmed
• 1 c. cranberry juice (cocktail, a mix like cranapple or cran-raspberry, or any other fruit juice you have on hand)
• 1/2 c. sugar (or a little more if you don't like your cranberries tart)
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

You will also need a large non-alumninum saucepan. Alumninum will react with the acid in the cranberries and make the sauce taste metalic. :-p

This balsamic cranberry sauce recipe is recommended for duck, goose or Turducken.

Balsamic Cranberry Sauce Ingredients

• 1/2 lb fresh cranberries
• 7 tbsps sugar
• 2 tbsps orange liqueur
• 1/4 c balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 c chicken broth
• 1/2 c beef broth
• 1 tsp fresh ginger -- minced
• 1 dash cayenne pepper

Make sure not to use any alumninum bowls or pans. Alumninum will react with the acid in the cranberries and make the sauce taste metalic. :-p