Now is the time to stock up on cranberries. Late fall to early winter usually brings about the best prices on this holiday berry. And this year we have seen some of the lowest prices on cranberries in a long time.
According to a release by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, back in the 1980s and 1990s, the cranberry was going through a big boon. From drinks to snacks, consumers demanded more cranberries than growers could supply. It drove prices way up and caused cranberry farmers to set aside more land to cultivate more cranberries.
Well, cranberries bogs take a long time to grow before they actually produce a full crop of berries, several years in fact. So all of the cranberry cultivation during the boom is paying off now with a large cranberry production. Right now there are plenty of berries available, but the tremendous interest in the cranberry has long since passed. High availability and lower demand mean lower prices, of course. Great news for anyone living frugally.
I started thinking about cranberries last weekend, when we celebrated the 70th birthday of my wonderful father-in-law. As guests walked into the rented hall, they kept commenting on the beautiful centerpieces created by my sister-in-law. She had filled bowls and trays with the rich red fruit and inserted blue candles. The trays and bowls were set over dark blue napkins on lighter blue tablecloths, and the effect was both warm and elegant.
Originally, she wanted an all-blue color scheme, and planned on using blueberries to fill the containers; that is until she saw the comparative cost. She couldn’t believe how inexpensive fresh cranberries were. I came home from the party determined to recreate her effect in my own holiday decorating.
Since they are so inexpensive, I thought the kids and I could string some cranberries and hang them on the tree just outside of our living room window. We could watch the birds enjoying a holiday treat.
Cranberries, of course, can also be used for eating. They are very nutritious and are wonderful in baked goods.
I plan on stocking up on cranberries and freezing them in 1 cup portions, the amount generally called for in recipes such as cranberry muffins. They can even be pureed in a blender before freezing to make recipe preparation easier.
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