esrosedotblog

They still haven't figured out what to do with all the cranberries.

My last real job was with Ocean Spray, the cranberry company. I was the production planning manager which really masked the fact that I was the Operations Manager's hatchet man. Hard to explain. Just let it be said that I was probably a thorn in everyone's side.

While I was there I went to get some training (I was that bad I guess) at a company in Cambridge, became enthralled with that process and left the cranberries to become a consultant.

But those little red berries are still in my heart somewhere.

Cranberry Growers Search for Ways to Share Their Bounty

Yep. No one wants it any other way than with the turkey and, for some, as a stringent juice that wakes you up and also has some health claims to make. A bit dubious those but firm enough to allude to without labeling it actually.

The thing is that the berries are very tart. They need a lot of sugar. So they might be healthy but you have to load up with calories to use them. Or shudder and wince and shiver as you eat them naked.

The "industry" is quite interesting and totally American. They have managed to transport the culture to Scandinavia and a few other places that have boggy conditions and the cold weather frost production the berry needs to finish its maturity.

At least they have been able to make the juice and the jelly more than holiday treats. It is now a year long business. The dried fruit Craisins came about when I was there so many years ago. Not bad. Not good.

So, here we are. The peak season. You can get the berries fresh now which I think has a lot to do with how they are seen as a holiday food and not much else.

Labels: agriculture, life