In The News: Some Great BBQ Recipes and Information From the Cranberry Institute

Follow That Bog!: Update from Mayflower Cranberries

In our last mailer, you saw cranberry growers hard at work prepping the bogs for growing season in our Spring on the Cranberry Bog video – but that was just the beginning! We checked in with Jeff LaFleur to hear the latest from the bog.

Sunrise on April 18, 2017 – following the first frost of 2017

This time of year, growers are on high alert for “frost watch” – keeping a close eye on temperatures to ensure it does not drop below a temperature that the cranberry vines can withstand, or the vines may be damaged by the cold causing reduced yield, or even worse, a complete loss of crop. When temperatures drop low enough, as on April 18 (22 degrees), growers run their irrigation systems to coat the vines with a layer of water, which will then form a protective frozen coating over the vines, preventing them from getting damaged. 

This year, the spring has been relatively mild, and there have only been a few frost concerns on the bog – however, this can always change at a moment’s notice!

Follow us! 

In case you missed it: The Cranberry Institute is tweeting! Please tweet with us, tagging @CranInstitute and using #CranberryBogBlogger to share your blogs and cran-thoughts! 

Bog Bites

A Sweet, Hot Topic

As an RD, you appreciate that discussing “added sugars” with consumers is more complex than meets the eye. Eliminating a food based on a single nutrient may not always be the answer to eating right. This is true when it comes to Greek yogurt, whole grain cereals, chocolate milk or of interest to the CI – cranberry juice and dried cranberries. As you know, despite having added sugars, research has shown that cranberry products provide many health benefits, including bioactive compounds that help to reduce the incidence of certain infections, improve heart health, reduce inflammation and maintain a healthy urinary tract.  

To help you have those tough conversations, we are pleased to provide you with resources we hope can help you address these questions: 

·         Straight Talk Q&A with Julie Miller Jones

·         The Cranberry Mnemonic

·         How to Talk to Consumers about Added Sugars

Host Your Own Memorial Day Barbecue with Benefits

Looking for the perfect dish to jazz up this year’s Memorial Day party? We’ve got you covered with these cookout staples that are just PAC-ed with flavor (and health benefits)! Try your favorite and share how you include cranberries your summer barbecue with @CranInstitute!

·         Cranberry BBQ Sauce

·         Cranberry & Cucumber Potato Salad

·         Cranberry and Orange Summer Punch

·         Cranberry Baked Beans

·         Cranberry and Strawberry Popsicles

RESOURCE REMINDER! 

Cranberry Health Research Library 

Browse the selections by year to find the most recent publications: http://cranberryinstitute.org/ doclib/doclib_search.cgi

Read more...

Recipe ReDux Post # 58 Family Friendly Sangria

The Recipe ReDux for May is Cocktails and Mocktails for May Celebrations and it couldn't have come at a better time.  Gabby's class breakfast fundraiser was on May 5th and the theme was Cinco de Mayo of course!  So... we decided to develop a mock "family friendly" sangria for the occasion.  Instead adding table sugar were relied on that natural delicious favor of the fruit juices and the cut up fruit and it came out delicious. The kids and parents were hooked and it is so easy to make and looks pretty too.  We hope you will give it a try and asked check out the other tasty beverages from the Recipe ReDux crew!

Ingredients:

8 cups white grape juice

2 cups orange juice

1 cup no sugar added cranberry juice

4 cups lemon sparkling/mineral water (without sugar added)

2 limes, sliced

4 clementines or 1 large orange, sliced

1 cup blackberries

2 small apples or 1 large, cut into ½ inch cubes (peel left on)

Directions:

Add all the above EXCEPT the sparkling water, to a large pitcher (or two depending on the size you have on hand).  Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.  Right before serving add the sparkling water, mix well and serve.

Makes 15 cups (liquid, not including the fruit garnish)

Serving size: 1 cup/ 8 fluid ounces Calories 97  Protein 1 g Carb  25 g  Fiber 0  g Sugars  25 g Fat  0g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 11  mg

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In The News: Some Great Info and a Hummus Recipe from the Cranberry Institute!

Follow That Bog!: A Day in the Life of a Cranberry Grower

While cranberry bogs are best known for their iconic harvest, cranberry farmers are hard at work all year ensuring the success of next year’s crop – and the spring season is no different! To learn more about what is happening on a cranberry bog this time of year, we reached out to cranberry grower Jeff LaFleur, owner of Mayflower Cranberries in Plympton, MA and a member of the Cranberry Institute’s Board of Directors, who shared with us a little more about the anatomy of a cranberry plant, and showed us exactly how they prune the cranberry vines to prepare for the growing season ahead.

Check out his Facebook page, Mayflower Cranberries! 

Follow us! 

In case you missed it: The Cranberry Institute has officially launched its Twitter Account:@CranInstitute! Please follow us and tag @CranInstitute – along with #CranberryBogBlogger – in your cranberry-inspired posts!

Spring Cleaning Your Eating

Look no further for the perfect snack or quick addition to any meal – dried cranberries have 2.3 grams of fiber per serving, all the benefits of cranberry PACs, and they keep well at room temperature. Below find some of our favorite ways to use dried cranberries!  

·         Check out this video from the Cranberry Marketing Committee to see how to enjoy Dried Cranberries, 5 Ways featuring: 

o   Cranberry Chicken Salad

o   Baked Brie with Dried Cranberries 

o   Spinach Salad with Cranberries

o   Cranberry Trail Mix 

o   Ladybugs on a Log

Inspired? Tweet @CranInstitute with your favorite way to include dried cranberries as part of your spring snacking and meals!

Cranberries and Health

Experts Refute the Findings of Journal of the American Medical Association Study on Cranberries in Urology journal

·         Since the publication of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) article, “Effect of Cranberry Capsules on Bacteriuria Plus Pyuria Among Older Women in Nursing Homes,” experts in both the study of cranberries and the practice of urology have spoken out against the conclusions that were made. A commentary explaining how the design was fatally flawed was published in the esteemed scientific journal, Urology. Led by Bilal Chughtai, MD, Professor of Urology in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine, Efficacy of Cranberry in Preventing Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections: Have We Learned Anything New?, describes that positive results for recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) prevention with cranberries (or any therapy) would not be expected in this population, where 69.2% of patients did not experience a UTI the year prior, as the patients did not suffer from recurrent UTIs as per Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines. Furthermore, asymptomatic bacteriuria and pyuria is unfortunately common in this population, thus the IDSA advises against treatment.  Lastly, obtaining uncontaminated, reliable urine samples in this population is a globally recognized challenge especially given that 78% of the subjects had dementia, 68% had urinary incontinence and 44% had bowel incontinence. It is also concerning that of the 185 initial participants, 33 individuals died during the one-year study. 

Without equivocation, Chughtai et al., states that cranberry products have reduced UTI rates in many at-risk populations in several studies. Adding that, quality randomized controlled trials on antibiotic alternatives, such as cranberry, are encouraged, or the medical community may be unable to manage the ever-increasing antibiotic-resistant UTIs.

Abstract may be accessed here: http://www.goldjournal.net/article/S0090-4295(16)31016-0/fulltext. 

RESOURCE REMINDER!

Cranberry Health Research Library 

Browse the selections by year to find the most recent publications: http://cranberryinstitute.org/doclib/doclib_search.cgi

Sweet Talk 

The Cranberry Institute has teamed up with the experts to provide resources that will help dietitians, and consumers, choose the right foods for a healthy diet.

• How to Talk to Consumers About Added Sugars
  • The “How to Talk to Consumers About Added Sugars” statement was developed by dietitians, for dietitians, offering guidance for RDs counseling and speaking to media about added sugar.

Hummus Just Got a Pretty in Pink Makeover

Trust us – this contest-winning Cranberry & Roasted Beet Hummus is definitely the prettiest (and probably one of the most delicious) hummus recipes you’ll try this year!

Cranberry & Roasted Beet Hummus

Ingredients

1 cup shallots; approximately 5-6 shallots

1 cup olive oil, divided

2 cups dried cranberries

1 orange, zested

12 fl oz. water

4 cups roasted beets, quartered

6 cups garbanzo beans, cooked

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 cups water, as needed

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.       Cut shallots into quarters. In small roasting pan, combine with 1/2 cup oil and cover with aluminum foil and roast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 45 minutes, or until soft. place shallots in a China cap strainer to separate the oil from shallots and reserve both.

3.       Combine dried cranberries, orange zest and 12 fl. oz. water and simmer uncovered until water has almost completely evaporated and cranberries rehydrate.

4.       Toss beets in 1/2 cup oil, add salt and pepper to taste and roast on a sheet pan at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until edges become brown.

5.       Place cooked garbanzo beans, rehydrated cranberries, shallots, roasted beets, 1 cup water, lemon juice and shallot oil in blender. Puree until smooth, add remaining water to loosen, if necessary. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

6.       Serve with corn tortilla or pita chips.

Read more...

Cranberry Guacamole

A few weeks ago a was sent this lovely serving bowl and some dried cranberries from the Cranberry Institute, and was encouraged to make a fun recipe for Spring.  I am fortunate to be one of their Cranberry Bog Bloggers and took advantage of the opportunity and decided I wanted to make some sort of fun dip to fill that awesome serving bowl.  I came up with this super delicious cranberry guacamole recipe that I have been saving for Cinco de Mayo, and here it is!  You will be amazed at how cranberries can change your guacamole from being just ordinary to extraordinary!  I hope you will try it out for this Friday's fiesta or anytime soon, enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 small avocados or 1 large, peeled, pitted and mashed

½ of small jalapeno pepper or ¼ of a large, diced

juice from ½ of a lime

1 tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro

a dash or two of garlic salt

1/4 cup dried cranberries

(additional salt to taste)

Makes 1.5 cups, 12 servings

Directions:

Add all the above EXCEPT the cranberries to a food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in the cranberries and serve. If you do not have a food processor, just be sure to chop the cilantro/jalapeno very fine, mash the avocado well and mix all the ingredients together with a spoon in a small bowl.

Serving size: 2 tablespoons Calories 40  Protein <1 carb="" g="" span="" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  4 g  Fiber  1.5 g Sugars 3 g Fat 2.5 g Saturated fat <1 1="" g="" mg="" nbsp="" o:p="" sodium="">

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