Did you know that New Jersey is the 3rd largest producer of cranberries in the US?
We'd been told that this was true, so to satisfy our curiousity and set straight any naysayers, we assembled an adventerous group of bog seekers to witness our local harvest.
We traveled to the Pine Barrens to visit Paradise Hill Farm, a family owned and operated cranberry and blueberry farm committed to the environmental and historic conservation of the area. Owner, Maryann Thompson, is involved in every aspect of the 800 acre farm on which 170 acres are dedicated to cranberry production. They grow and harvest ten different varieties of cranberries at Paradise Hill Farm and several are organic and heirloom varieties. After decades of consuming generic plastic baggies of Ocean Spray crimson berries, we were amazed to discover that shape, size and color vary greatly among different varieties of cranberries but found all to be tartly delicious and oooh so good for you.
Following our action packed tour of the bog, we purchased oodles of great freshly harvested berries content to divy them up and trundle home and prepare all things cranberry. Fresh berries will keep for several weeks in the fridge and of course they freeze well and will keep for over a year there. But, don't wait until Thanksgiving to enjoy these lovely gems from the bog. Here's one of our favorite new ways to enjoy their goodness and it's a welcome change from classic tomato salsa and chips for the Sunday football crowd.
Cranberry Apple Salsa
(excellent served with any good chips and particularly yummy with sweet potato chips)
makes 2 cups
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded, deveined and cut into a few large pieces
1 large clove garlic, smashed and peeled
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (the red ones look best in this dish)
juice of one lime
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs apple cider
1 large Granny Smith apple
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs or so of coarely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Combine the onion, jalapeno and garlic in a food processor, and pulse until finley chopped. Add the cranberries, lime juice, sugar, and apple cider and pulse several times to coarsely chop the berries.
Scrape the contents of the food processor out into a medium sized bowl and set aside while you grate the apple. Cut the unpeeled apple into quarters and remove the stem and core. Grate the apple using the large whole of a box grater or using the shredding disk of the food processor. Add the grated apple to the bowl with cranberries along with the salt and cumin and toss to combine all the ingredients. Toss in cilantro if using. Cover and refrigate for an hour or so allowing flavors to develop. Serve with chips.
makes 2 cups
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded, deveined and cut into a few large pieces
1 large clove garlic, smashed and peeled
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (the red ones look best in this dish)
juice of one lime
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs apple cider
1 large Granny Smith apple
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs or so of coarely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Combine the onion, jalapeno and garlic in a food processor, and pulse until finley chopped. Add the cranberries, lime juice, sugar, and apple cider and pulse several times to coarsely chop the berries.
Scrape the contents of the food processor out into a medium sized bowl and set aside while you grate the apple. Cut the unpeeled apple into quarters and remove the stem and core. Grate the apple using the large whole of a box grater or using the shredding disk of the food processor. Add the grated apple to the bowl with cranberries along with the salt and cumin and toss to combine all the ingredients. Toss in cilantro if using. Cover and refrigate for an hour or so allowing flavors to develop. Serve with chips.
