Despite its super sour taste, cranberry has enjoyed enormous popularity in Russia for centuries long. No wonder, as the health benefits of these red berries growing in marshes and peat bogs are immense! When the season of all-favorite sweet fruits and berries is over, cranberries are just beginning to ripen. Their useful properties and taste in many ways depend on the time of the year. These amazing berries are not afraid of heavy rains, frosts or the sun. At low temperatures, they become sweet and retain their bright appearance. Right after harvesting, cranberries are quite hard, and only after a while they become soft. Cranberry Traditions In the old days, it was customary to start collecting cranberries from September 3, when on the Day of St. Cyprian of Carthage was celebrated. In Russia, it was said that on the Cyprian Day, cranes gathered in the swamp and held a council: how to fly south, when to start, which way to choose. Hence the second name of the holiday is the Crane Council. Therefore, cranberries were called crane berries, or zhuravlinka. Before this time, it was impossible to go to the swamps. «Do not touch the cranberry until it turns red like flame and drives the darkness into the quicksand» - wise people used to say. If someone broke the ban, it was believed that inevitable troubles were waiting for them. On the Cypriyan Day, a person whose birthday fell on September 3, was the firat one to be sent for cranberries; it was believed that they knew the way to the place where the largest cranberries would be born. Health Benefits of Cranberries Cranberries are considered one of the best health-promoting berries. They contains a whole complex of vitamins, minerals, organic acids and pectin substances. Both raw and dried berries have useful properties. Russians have long used cranberries as an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agent. Cranberries are considered one of the main sources of antioxidants. Valuable are not only berries, but also leaves of this healing plant. A decoction of cranberry leaves has been traditionally used as lotions or taken orally. Cranberries retain their useful properties even when frozen. The elements contained in cranberries are quickly absorbed in the body. In Russia, both the juice and the pulp of cranberries are used for food. The pomace is dried on a baking sheet in the oven and brewed as tea or used as a red food dye. Various traditional drinks are made from cranberry juice – kvass, mors, sbiten, mead, and berry infusions. Fresh cranberries are added in various pickles, such as sauerkraut, and also added to salads. Cranberries can be used to make a sauce for meat dishes. Cranberries are preserved for the winter time in the form of boiled jams or frozen berries. With the addition of sugar or honey, cranberries make all kinds of desserts, filling for pies, ice cream, mousses, and jelly. Cranberry Sauce Extract cranberry juice. Add half liter water to the pulp, boil and strain it, then add honey, spices, bring to a boil and strain. Dilute starch with the cranberry juice, pour it into the boiling sauce and heat until thickened. Serve with grilled game. INGREDIENTS: cranberries 500 grams; honey 300 grams; cinnamon 0.2 grams; potato starch 30 grams; cloves 0.2grams. Cranberry Pie Roll out the sourdough into a layer 1 cm thick and put it on a greased baking sheet for proofing. Rinse cranberries and place them on a towel to dry. Then put the berries in a saucepan and crush them. Mix in potato starch and crackers, and place the stuff evenly on the dough llayer. Sprinkle the pie with sugar and put it in the oven to bake for 30-40 minutes at a temperature of 220-230°. Grease the baked cake with butter. INGREDIENTS: 1 kg of ready-made dough; 3 cups of cranberries; 2 tablespoons of starch; 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs; 1 tablespoon of butter; 3-4 tablespoons of sugar. Beetroot and Cranberry Cookies Keep butter in a warm place so it gets soft enough. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and knead a soft dough. Wrap the dough in a plastic cover and keep in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Cut the cooled dough into pieces and place on a baking sheet covered with baking paper, at a distance from each other. Bake in a preheated 175°C oven for 12-14 minutes. It is important not to over-dry the cookies. INGREDIENTS: wheat flour 200 grams; salt 1 pinch; baking powder 1 teaspoon; sugar 100 grams; butter 125 grams; milk 2 tablespoons; beet juice 8 tablespoons; dried cranberries 120 grams; lemon zest 1 teaspoon.


Author: Vera Ivanova

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