Cranberries for the Holidays

When colonists first came to North America, they found some of the Algonquian peoples around New England using cranberries in some of their food, like pemmican, and for a dye. Explorers wrote of this as early as 1550. In Plymouth, Massachusetts, a petticoat dyed with cranberries was auctioned off in 1633. Thirty years later, a recipe for cranberry sauce appeared in a Pilgrim cookbook. Their history is a long one.

Having been raised in the South, fresh cranberries were never a staple in our house, nor was cooking or baking with them common for us. However, when I found cranberries on sale for 25 cents a bag one year, I couldn't resist. The bag had a simple-looking recipe on the back of it, so I gave it a try. A new holiday tradition was born. We loved the cranberry bread.
Here's the recipe I used:

Cranberry-Nut Bread

2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Mix together dry ingredients. Blend in orange juice, egg, and oil. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in a greased 5 x 9 inch loaf pan. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until done. Remove from pan and let set 5 minutes before slicing.

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