Fresh cranberries brighten tables, taste

Cranberries grow wild in many northern states and Canada, and are cultivated primarily in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Oregon, New Jersey and Washington, food columnist Amy Topel writes in “The Green Guide.”

She also points out that to make cranberry sauce from fresh berries doesn’t really take all that much longer than opening a can. You can make it up to a week ahead of using and refrigerate it until you are ready to serve it. Recipes can be varied to suit taste. The most important thing, Topel says, is to balance the natural sourness of the cranberries.

They require quite a bit of sweetener to make them palatable, she says. If you are comfortable using white sugar, balancing out the tartness is easy. “If you try to avoid processed sugar, you can use honey or a combination of honey and rice syrup. I recently experimented with fruit juice concentrates and was very pleased with my results.”

Here is one cranberry sauce recipe:

Whole Cranberry Sauce

4 cups fresh cranberries

Juice of 1 orange

1 to 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, to taste

Place cranberries in pot with 1 cup sugar and orange juice. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on desired consistency. Allow to cool a bit before tasting; add more sweetener if desired.

Makes 2 cups.

Tips to avoid clogged drains

Here’s a not-so-festive thought: The holiday season may be a busy time for plumbers because turkey bones, grease, peels and scraps find their way down the kitchen drain and become the leading cause of clogged pipes.

Here are some tips to help avoid a drain or pipe disaster:

• Don’t put turkey skin or bones, celery stalks, shrimp peels or onion peels down the garbage disposal.
• Avoid pouring grease into the drain.
• Throw large quantities of scraps in the trash, not the sink.
• Wipe out greasy pans and plates with a paper towel before washing.
• Rinse dishes before placing them in the dishwasher.
• Run hot water into the garbage disposal when using it.
• Regularly use microbial drain treatment to help prevent grease, sludge or soap buildup.
• Keep a plunger handy to clear clogged drains or pipes.
• If you suspect a problem, don’t operate the dishwasher and garbage disposal at the same time.
• If the kitchen sink is backing up, call a qualified plumber before the holiday dinner to find out why.