Weekly Health Tip: Thankful for Cranberries

Like NPR last week, we recommend cranberries on your Thanksgiving spread. 

Cranberries are shown to have very beneficial effects on the body. NPR reports that:

• cranberries are full of immune-system-boosing Vitamin C
• cranberries contain compounds that can help prevent infections such as UTIs
• cranberries are full of antioxidants called polyphenols, which have an anti-aging effect
• cranberry red color is due to anthocyathins, which are antioxidants and also have an anti-inflammatory effect. (Inflammation is not only associated with infections, but also cardiovascular disease and cancer).

We plan to try mixologist Gina Chersevani's cranberry cocktail during tomorrow's Thanksgiving feast! 

Cranberry Antioxidant Punch

Makes approximately six drinks

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 6 to 8 pears, medium size
• 1 cup honey
• 2 cups water
• 3 medium-sized quinces, sliced with seeds removed

1. Making quince simple syrup: In a small pot, combine honey, water and quince. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow quince to simmer for about 10 minutes or until fruit is soft. Remove from heat, strain the quince out, discard.  Let syrup cool to room temperature.
2. Making cranberry cocktail: Feed cranberries and whole pears into a juice machine. Double strain the juice through a fine mesh strainer to remove the cranberry seeds. In a pitcher, mix the pear and cranberry juice with 1 cup of the quince simple syrup.  To serve, pour over ice and garnish with fresh cranberries.
3. To make alcoholic: add 1 1/2 ounce of vodka per cocktail.