Do you know a berry which you may pick up even in winter? I can remember only sour berry cranberry.
Really it’s season starts at the beginning of Autumn, but due to it’s incredible ability to resist spoilage you can easily enjoy it even during winter. In more dry, dark and quiet place cranberries can stay fresh enough till spring! When frosts and snows destroy almost all food in the forests, cranberries are still bright and helpful, they are real treasure for forest dwellers.
Which country is an origin of cranberries? I was sure Belarussian swamps, such as Yelnya swamp (you may read a picturesque post about it by @Rymaszewsca ), together with Siberian swamps are the main cranberry areas… but preparing this article, I have discovered that … I was too self-confident, and many countries regard cranberries to be there native berries.
But why such an unpresentable berry is so valued by people? The main reason in it’s incredible healthfulness. Small cranberries contain a whole range of useful mineral elements and acids - it contains iron, calcium, iodine, magnesium, quinic and malic acid and a large number of others. Cranberries also contain phenol, which makes them bactericidal and antimicrobial. “Berry-crane” is well absorbed by the body and quickly increases hemoglobin and strengthens the immune system. Cranberries are known to have a strong beneficial effect in relieving the symptoms of various inflammations, especially joint pain. Oncologists say that the systematic use of cranberries reduces the risk of several types of cancer, and cosmetologists - improves the condition of the skin, hair and nails.
Cranberry has refreshing and tonic properties, improves memory, appetite and digestion, lowers cholesterol, reduces headaches, and has a diuretic effect. Cranberry drinks have antipyretic, bactericidal and thirst quenching properties, therefore they are recommended for use in case of flu and high fever. Cranberry juice increases the effectiveness of antibiotics when taken together.
The ability of cranberries to resist scurvy and to be kept easily for a long time helped the wide distribution of these berries throughout the world. Sailors filled barrels with cranberries on their long sea voyages. And it was cranberries that gave them strength, cured diseases and saved many lives on dangerous travels.
There are those who can be harmed by cranberries. First of all, it is advised to refuse it for pregnant women who are prone to allergies. Those who suffer from stomach ulcers or enterocolitis are unlikely to expect pleasant minutes after eating cranberries.
Cranberries are harvested by hand and using machines. The second method really impresses, here the link on TV program about it in Russian language (hope, it’s possible to share such link here, if not, I will delete it of course).
Cranberries can be stored for several months even in a city apartment - if they are in a dark, cool and well-ventilated place. Also, the berries are well stored in wooden boxes and in not very thick plastic. You can also store them in jars filled with chilled boiled water, dry berries or freeze them.
By the way every year on the 20th of September there is a feast in honour of this berry in Miory , called Zhuravy and Zhuraviny (Cranes and Cranberries).
There is a legend about the origin of cranberries: in ancient times, hordes of nomads were going to attack one Slavic tribe. The Slavs understood that they could not withstand the forces of the invaders and decided to hide on an island where a flock of cranes lived. Enemies could not get to the island - an impenetrable swamp blocked their way. In a rage, they decided to kill the Slavs and began to shoot poisoned arrows at the defenseless people. But the good cranes protected people with their bodies, taking all the arrows on themselves. And every drop of the crane’s blood turned into a red cranberry. Since then, in some areas, cranberries are called “zhuraviny” from the word zhuravl’ (crane).
If you visit Belarus you should try cranberries in sugar, you can easily buy them almost in any big shop:
The most popular preparing method is making fruit drink «Mors» from it. It’s easy and tasty. You should put little amount of cranberries (it’s very sour) in high glass and cover it with hot boiled water slightly. Then crash berries carefully (the juice may shot far from glass) and pour the boiling water till Mors becomes slightly pink. You can add sugar by taste or drink it pure. This beverage normalizes blood pressure and is suitable both for high and low pressure.
You can find a lot of other cranberries recipes (please feel free to share your favorite recipes here, if you have such), but I will share a cranberry pie recipe.
For the base you need: butter - 200 grams, wheat flour - 260 grams, yolks - 3 pcs., sugar - 2 tablespoons, salt.
For the filling: egg whites - 3 pcs., sugar - 300 grams, you can add also potato starch - 2 teaspoons.
cranberries - 250 grams.
Rub the yolks with sugar. Grind the butter with flour until it becomes a greasy crumb. Combine the two mixtures and knead the dough. Place the dough in a 26 cm baking dish and distribute it evenly over the bottom and side. Prick in many places with a fork.
Bake it in an oven preheated to 180 degrees during 10 minutes.
While the cake is baking, grind the cranberries with 150 g of sugar (you may use the whole berries also).
Beat the whites in the meringue with the remaining sugar till hard peaks which don’t fall quickly.
Spread the cranberries on the base, spread the whites on top with a syringe or spoon.
Put in the oven for another 10 minutes, then take out and cool.
Bon appetite!
This post is part of #MonthlyTopic of December 2020, initiated by @HiroyukiTakisawa (I permit to use my photos for the recap).
to God bless you & your family .
thank you so much.
.
.**Its sounds like a nice bedtime story.
