On a moist October day, so muted by mist that pond and sky blend seamlessly at the horizon, crews at Wetherby Cranberry Co. hasten the harvest. In three or four days, they’ll finish the job begun Sept. 20, when the first berries came off the low-growing vines.
Nodji VanWychen who has owned Wetherby with her husband, Jim, since 1973, seems pleased with this year’s harvest. The VanWychens, their three daughters and sons-in-law, and their son all work on the marshes, though not all work there full-time. During the harvest, seasonal employees pitch in.
But the cheery Nodji–named for an Indian princess in a novel her grandmother fancied–is harried today. Wetherby Cranberry Co., in this small town in west central Wisconsin, is a busy place.
While the crews work, she has two school tours to lead, plus a reporter to entertain. Each tour takes about an hour, starting in the marshes where the VanWychens grow berries, and finishing in the small packing room back at the store-house. Nodji’s daybook is dense with scrawled appointments; today’s second tour is the last of more than 35 scheduled during the six-week harvest. The public is always welcome at Wetherby; lots of visitors come and go, looking for the big, deep-red round cranberries that made Wetherby’s reputation.
Because more than 85 percent of all the cranberries grown in the U.S. end up as juice or dried berries, the VanWychens are definitely in the minority among cranberry growers.
They always have specialized in fresh fruit, selling most of their crop in the upper Midwest. The decision to grow for the fresh market is driven partly by tradition. Wetherby began to build its reputation on the quality of its fresh berries in 1905. But, Nodji said, the decision requires special harvesting equipment–machines that gently rake the ripe berries from the 12-inch tall vines in dry harvesting, rather than beating the berries off the vines as in wet harvesting.
Berries for processing are harvested in flooded bogs, with cranberries floating inside a little corral.
Sounds like a postcard from Cape Cod, doesn’t it?
Robust harvest
Though most of us associate cranberries with New England and Thanksgiving time, we might more rightly think of Wisconsin all year round. Wisconsin’s 275 growers have grown more cranberries than anyone else for more than a decade. This year’s crop was expected to be especially big, more than 3.5 million 100-pound barrels, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Cranberries top Wisconsin’s fruit production, and Wisconsin legislators made the cranberry the state’s official fruit last April, after fourth-graders proposed the idea.
It seems that fourth-graders know a good thing when they see one.
Cranberries lend their potent antioxidants to all kinds of foods. They’re also a very good source of vitamin C (sailors used to eat them to fend off scurvy) and fairly high in vitamin A. Recent research adds phytonutrients to the health reasons for enjoying cranberries often.
Folk wisdom has long considered cranberry juice a boon in banishing urinary tract ailments. Now science backs up the premise, noting that cranberries inhibit bacteria’s ability to stick around long enough to cause a problem. That may be the reason cranberry juice helps prevent peptic ulcers. It also may explain why cranberry extract reduces the growth of the bacteria that causes gum disease.
Moreover, Ted Wilson, a biologist at Winona State University in Minnesota, said that cranberries’ high antioxidant levels may protect the heart against disease by increasing the diameter of blood vessels, and reducing the oxidation of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
“Whether it’s the antioxidant effect or the nitric oxide effect [which improves blood vessel diameter and prevents clotting] is anyone’s guess,” Wilson said. In a small study, “we conducted a test last spring that showed that people who drank two glasses of cranberry juice a day reduced their total cholesterol and their LDL.”
“When you look at fruits and vegetables, you can’t show many where the juice has the (antioxidant) value of the fruit,” Wilson said. “The cranberry does. It seems to be as good for antioxidant capacity and nitric oxide as red wine” in preventing or reducing heart disease.
Anti-aging effects
Cranberries also may help reduce age-related health woes such as diminished memory and coordination. USDA researchers at Tufts University’s Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging have found in preliminary studies that the antioxidants and phytonutrients in cranberries defend against the effects of aging.
Cranberries make a dish full of goodness that the Pilgrims must have surely wel-comed.
Alas, cranberry sauce wasn’t served at the first Thanksgiving. Native Americans had introduced Pilgrims to cranberries. But the colonists had no sugar to sweeten them, say historians at Plimoth Plantation museum in Plymouth, Mass. Evidence suggests that Native Americans pounded cranberries into the dried meat they called pemmican, and used the berries’ juice to dress wounds, apparently understanding the berries’ disinfecting qualities. Cranberry sauce seems to be a latter-day development.
Still, it feels right to serve this uniquely American fruit at the holiday. Cranberries join Concord grapes and blueberries as the only fruits native to North America. Whether jellied or ground, in whole-berry sauce or relish, cranberries contribute a tart counter-point to the over-the-top riches of the rest of the feast.
Thanksgiving is just one day of the year, though. With all that nutritional good news, it’s too bad fresh berries are available only until Christmas or so.
Processors like Ocean Spray and North-land help bring cranberries to the table all year. Cranberry juice-based drinks and concentrates are the fastest growing sales sector. The “craisin,” or dried sweetened cranberry, introduced in 1995, has made cranberries commonplace in all kinds of baked goods, both homemade and commercial.
Around the village of Warrens (pop. 343), cranberries pop up in all kinds of ways.
The village is home to the Wisconsin Cranberry Discovery Center, which opened in its new location in a one-time cranberry packing house last spring, and by popular demand, will remain open through Dec. 31 before closing for the season. The museum features exhibits on the cultivation and culture of the cranberry, including historical photos and equipment used in harvesting. Its small ice cream bar offers coffee and cranberry treats, said director Lorrie Erickson.
Warrens also hosts the annual Cranberry Festival the last weekend in September. Begun in 1973, the festival has grown to include a weekend’s worth of events, more than a thousand craft and food booths, a quilt festival and more. It draws hundreds of thou-sands of visitors, Erickson said. The festival has generated more than a million dollars for community improvements over the past 20 years, its Web site reports.
Back at the Wetherby marshes, Nodji VanWychen prepares for the last tour of the season. Asked if she still eats cranberries herself after all these years, she laughs merrily.
“My grandkids eat them raw, right off the vines,” she said. “I like them that way, too, even as tart as they are.”
Yes, she said, she’ll have cranberries at her Thanksgiving table. “We eat cranberries almost every day,” she said, “in all kinds of ways.”
Now, more than ever before, that’s easy for all of us–and we’ve got more reasons than ever to do so.
Cranberry-pecan tassies
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Yield: 24 pieces
This recipe, from Wisconsin cranberry grower Nodji VanWychen, requires a miniature muffin tin.
Crust:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
1 cup sifted flour
Filling:
1 egg
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cranberries, chopped
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1. For crust, combine cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl until well blended. Stir in flour; mix until dough forms. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Press individual balls into ungreased miniature muffin tins to form tarts.
3. For filling, beat egg, sugar, butter, vanilla and salt with a mixer on medium speed until creamy; fill tarts half full. Combine cranberries and nuts in a medium bowl; divide equal-ly among the tarts. Bake until set and lightly brown around the edges, about 35 minutes. Cool in pan.
Nutrition information per tart:
110 calories, 53% of calories from fat, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 12 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g protein, 49 mg sodium, 0.6 g fiber
Cranberry-jalapeno chutney
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 3 cups
This recipe, from the National Pork Board, provides a tart, zippy complement to turkey.
1 can (12 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
1 jalapeno chili, seeded, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl; cover. Refrigerate 2 hours or up to 3 weeks. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition information per 1/4 cup serving:
45 calories, 0% of calories from fat, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 12 g carbohydrates, 0 g protein, 55 mg sodium, 0.5 g fiber
Cranberry, corn and pepper salsa
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Cooling time: 1 hour
Chilling time: 8 hours
Yield: 4 cups
An upbeat, colorful salsa perks up the holiday table and adds a kick to turkey or pork roast, as well as day-after sandwiches. This adapted recipe is from the National Pork Board.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 each, ribbed, seeded, diced: green bell pepper, red bell pepper
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 bag (12 ounces) cranberries
2 cans (10 ounces each) corn, drained
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 piece (2-inches long) ginger root, grated
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook peppers and onion, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
2. Add cranberries; cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes; add corn, sugar, vinegar, ginger and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes; set aside to cool completely, about 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving.
Nutrition information per 1 4 cup serving:
161 calories, 11% of calories from fat, 2 g fat, 0.3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 37 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 115 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
Cranberry-nut loaf
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Cooling time: 30 minutes
Yield: 10 servings
Los Angeles chef Mary Sue Milliken writes that she and her son, Declan, bake these loaves every year. Her recipe is found in “Baking from the Heart.”
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon frozen orange juice concentrate, optional
1 teaspoon each: vanilla, ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon each: ground nutmeg, salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup each: flour, cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 package (12 ounces) fresh cranberries
1 cup pecans, toasted, chopped, see note
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together brown sugar and butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed. Add the orange juice concentrate, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Beat in the eggs until combined; set aside.
2. Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and baking soda; add to the creamed butter mixture, gently beating with a spoon just until the flour disappears. Fold in the cranberries and pecans.
3. Pour the batter into a buttered 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in the pan 30 minutes; turn out onto a wire rack; cool completely.
Note: Toast pecan halves in single layer on a baking sheet in a 400-degree oven 5 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
308 calories, 54% of calories from fat, 19 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 66 mg cholesterol, 33 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 279 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
Cranberry-kissed sweet potatoes
(This recipe as published has been corrected in this text.)
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 17 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Here’s a recipe from Wisconsin cranberry grower Judie Harkner. Our tasters liked it especially well as a fresh change from the usual holiday casserole.
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, cut into small cubes
1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
Zest from 1/2 orange
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds, optional
1. Combine sweet potatoes, orange juice and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Heat on high (100 percent power), stirring occasionally, 12 minutes.
2. Stir in cranberries and brown sugar; cover. Heat on high until potatoes are tender and cranberries burst, about 5 minutes. Toss mixture with orange zest; stir in almonds if desired.
Nutrition information per serving:
142 calories, 36% of calories from fat, 6 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 22 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 64 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
