November 12, 2021
Day 120
Cranberries just scream Thanksgiving to me - well besides gratitude, family gatherings, the fancy dishes, and turkey. Cranberries are indigenous to North America, with 1,200 cranberry growers in five states including New Jersey, where I live. Just yesterday my organic Coop box gifted me with cranberries from Canada. How ironic!
Of course, whole fresh cranberries with no sugar added are a great ingredient, rich in purple-red anthocyanin pigments to support heart and brain health, vitamins B, C, E, K, and fiber too. But most cranberry sauce we love on Thanksgiving is made with sugar. Cranberries are naturally tart, so for most uses, cranberry recipes involve added sugar. I have a few recipes with no sugar added for a raw cranberry and orange relish and cooked cranberry onion chutney. I’ll dig them out and share them with you.
All this thinking about cranberry recipes got me thinking about the popular, sweeter dried cranberries. I’ve allowed a bit of dried fruit on my Sugar Free Year (such as raisins and dates) as long as it doesn’t have added sugar. Most dried cranberries in the grocery store have added sugar as well as vegetable oil to keep them from clumping. Some are infused with apple juice to neutralize the tart and provide a sweeter taste. If the cranberries aren’t organic, they are probably sprayed with sulfur, or sulfuric acid to prevent mold while growing.
It is however possible with a bit of hunting to find no sugar added dried cranberries. Instead of the grocery store, look online and try brands such as Honestly, Minu, Cherry Bay Orchard, My Berry Organics, and Berrilys for cleaner no added sugar dried cranberries.
Will you be using cranberries this Thanksgiving? Share your sugar free recipes, or challenge yourself to find one.
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