The Jewels of the Holidays.

The months of October, November, December and January bring to us holidays of remembrance, gatherings, gratefulness and love.  However, it is the many meals and desserts that bring us to that iconic New Year’s Eve promise of eating healthier, aka going on a diet.

Even though the temperature outdoors has gotten colder, there are certain fruits that put holiday spirit into our bodies.  They are available year-round, due to import and export, but why are they more holiday related than seasonal?

Oranges, and other citrus fruits, are naturally in peak season during the winter months in North America, with harvests occurring from late fall into early spring in warm regions like California and Florida. The chilly nights and sunny days during this period concentrate the fruits' natural sugars, resulting in a sweeter, juicier flavor.  Whenever we would travel to Florida, it was always late January/early February, and coming home with a case of blood oranges was a treat; the sweetest orange by far.   Cranberries are harvested in North America from mid-September through early November, making them abundant and fresh just in time for the major winter holidays.

Healthwise, both fruits are rich in vitamin C which helps produce white blood cells, necessary for fighting infections.  They also contain antioxidants that protect cells from damage, and have anti-inflammatory properties.  Oranges contain about a half cup of water, so it helps to keep you hydrated on dry, cold wintery days.

However, we think more towards holiday traditions when it comes to oranges and cranberries. 

Cranberries have been a part of American winter holidays for centuries, providing a tart side of balance to holiday foods like roasted turkey and sweet desserts. Historically, Indigenous peoples also ate cranberries fresh, dried, or as part of pemmican during winter for sustenance.  Pemmican? Pemmican is made of dried and pounded meat, rendered fat (like tallow or suet), and dried berries. The meat is from bison, beef cattle, elk or venison, dried until it is hard and then ground into a powder. The fat is mixed with the ground powder, dried berries, and other seasonings, for added flavoring.

For Yule/Winter Solstice and Christmas, cranberries, dried orange slices and popcorn are used to make garlands and wreaths for decorations.  Oranges are used to create pomanders by studding them with cloves. The orange itself is a symbol of the sun, celebrating its eventual return during the darkest time of the year.  Placing an orange in a Christmas stocking is a tradition relating to Saint Nicholas. Secretly, he left bags of gold for poor families, and over time, oranges came to symbolize the golden gift, representing charity and prosperity. For those in colder climates, an orange is seen as a rare and luxurious treat, making it a precious gift.

Chinese New Year occurs either in January or February.  Oranges are given as gifts as they are symbols of good luck, prosperity, and wealth. Their golden color resembles gold, and their names in Chinese sound similar to words for "luck," "wealth," and "success".

 

So, why entitle this article as “jewels of the holidays”?  For the very reasons I have given, they are rich in color, taste, usage and meaning…and my gift to you all, for this holiday season, Orange Cranberry Bread.  Oh, it’s the recipe of course, you’ll have to do all the baking yourselves.

 

Orange Cranberry Bread

Ingredients:

4 and ½ cups flour (+ ½ cup for high altitude)

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. grated orange zest (fresh or rehydrated)

2 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar, or sugar substitute

2 large eggs

1 and ½ cups fresh squeezed, or thawed concentrate, orange juice

 

For the Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

4 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparation:

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray three 8-inch aluminum loaf pans with baking spray. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in orange zest and cranberries. Set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beat butter, sugar, and eggs together in a large bowl until smooth; stir in orange juice until well incorporated.  Stir in flour until mixture is moist, dense and sticky; spoon into prepared pans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake in oven until toothpick comes out clean and tops are browned, about 45-50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes; take bread out of pan and wrap in plastic, or keep in pan, wrap in aluminum foil and store in freezer up to 3 months.

Makes 3 loaves.

 

 

Cooled, Ready to Glaze

 

 

Glazed, Ready to Enjoy

 

 

Note: Do not use orange juice from a bottle or cardboard carton.  This product contains water, and while your cake, bread or muffins may look lovely on the outside; inside will be a sunken mess of unbaked goo.

Mary Cokenour