![](\"http:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Cranberry-Sauce_3980.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\t\t\t\tIn the spirit of the season, today’s post is all about cranberries. You know, those tasty,\u00a0nutrient-dense, little red morsels … you most likely passed them (or passed them by\u2014folks usually love ’em or hate ’em) around your Thanksgiving table last week. And maybe you’ll enjoy them again at a Christmas feast.\u00a0Their bright-red hues bring a festive touch to any holiday meal.<\/p>\n
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When I think cranberries, I think New England, where\u00a0many of the cranberries in the U.S. are grown and harvested. I don’t<\/em> think\u00a0my neighboring Washington state\u00a0… until now. Turns out, Washington state is the fifth largest cranberry-producing state in the U.S. Who knew?<\/p>\n And cranberries are grown in a unique,\u00a0almost other-worldly setting called a cranberry bog. According to Cranberries.org<\/a>, “[Cranberries] can grow and survive only under a very special combination of factors. These factors include acid peat soil, an adequate fresh water supply, and a growing season that extends from April to November. Cranberries grow on low-lying vines in beds layered with sand, peat, gravel and clay. These beds are commonly known as bogs or marshes and were originally created by glacial deposits. Commercial bogs use a system of wetlands, uplands, ditches, flumes, ponds and other water bodies that provide a natural habitat for a variety of plant and animal life.”<\/p>\n This\u00a0gorgeous slideshow <\/a>of cranberry production in Washington state will make you appreciate\u00a0these little gems even more. And here’s a holiday-inspired recipe to get your creative cranberry juices flowing!<\/p>\n Day-after Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwiches<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the spirit of the season, today’s post is all about cranberries. You know, those tasty,\u00a0nutrient-dense, little red morsels … you most likely passed them (or passed them by\u2014folks usually love ’em or hate ’em) around your Thanksgiving table last … Continue reading