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Cran we pick it? Yes we cran!
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Thursday, 19 January 2012
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 Although Christmas may have gone all too quick (as usual!) we just
couldn’t let the festive season slip by without taking a good look at a
little treat that’s good to eat (and good for us) all year round.
The Vaccinium oxycoccos, or common cranberry, is characterised by its wiry stems, deep pink flowers and luscious red berries. The shrubs can grow up to 20cm in height and two metres in length. Vaccinium macrocarpon, the large or American cranberry (pictured) is grown as groundcover, often for commercial crops and used for cooking.
The name ‘cranberry’ is thought to have originated from their being a
favourite food of cranes, or because the flowers and stems resemble the
head of this bird.
Natives of northern hemisphere bog land, cranberry shrubs naturally
thrive in acidic, wet soil. They prefer nutrient-poor soil, full sun and
moderate warmth; although, as hardy little fruits, cranberries can
withstand quite low or high temperatures.
Little care is required to grow cranberries successfully aside from
reducing tangled growth, careful watering during warmer months and light
weeding as required.
A tasty little summer superfruit, the
cranberry is full of vitamin C and antioxidants, as well as other
important nutrients including vitamin A and B, calcium, phosphorous and
iron. Research shows that cranberries can help prevent heart disease,
cancer and a wide range of other common diseases.
Let's get saucy!
A highly popular crop in North America, American cranberries are often dried or
used in such edibles as sauces, jams and juices. However cranberries
don’t need to be reserved for the Christmas bird; these berries are
ideal in a wide range of recipes. Click on the links below and savour
the flavour!
Cranberry & Chicken Pizza
Cranberry Muffins
The Jive Turkey
 The ‘cran’ do attitude
Situated in Paroa, south of Greymouth, Wild Ruby provides fresh, spray-free American cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) ready for delivery from
March-June. Farmers Dianne and Stephen Sheaf are intending to trial some
new varieties this year so we’re expecting some ‘berry’ good things to
be ‘growing’ on, around the West Coast as the couple develops some
more... gems!
Click here for some more innovative cranberry recipes from Wild Ruby.
While such lines as: ‘with their tanks and their bombs and their bombs
and their guns’ may turn some into zombies, at Garden-NZ we prefer to
stick to the original cranberries; they’re prettier to look at and I’d
rather have them ‘in my head’ as they leave a much less sour taste in my
mouth!
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