Autumn is harvest time. We learn this at school, we celebrate Thanksgiving at this time of year, tie the harvest crown, and give thanks for the bountiful harvest. For me personally, autumn is the most beautiful season. The weather is great, the mountains are close and clear again and the best thing of all, I can finally pursue my passion again – collecting cranberries. Nothing arouses my passion for collecting, not chanterelles, not blueberries, nor porcini mushrooms, only cranberries get me excited and I can’t wait until I can finally get going. For the perfect cranberry harvest, you should wait until the “Grannggn”, as the cranberries are also called here, have been snowed in. This makes them juicier and sweeter in taste. As a motivated collector, I naturally have my secret spots where I “pick” the berries. A good place is at the Hochgründeck, where you can always find them, but you should be really quick, because many other like-minded people also share the same passion. Apart from the cranberries, there are there is always a lot to discover at Hochgründeck anyway. The path and the Heinrich Kiener House are also a great autumn excursion away from the cranberries.
We “Berry Women” all know each other, exchange information, share spots, and chat our way through the day. I have to admit that I’m one of the younger ones, but since I’m a real “Berry Woman”, I’ll tell you my tried and tested recipe for a sweet-sour-tart cranberry jam.
For about 5 jars you need 2 kilograms of cranberries and half a kilo of sugar. First, bring the sugar to the boil until the sugar has cleared, add the cranberries, stir again and let the cranberries cook until soft. Then take a large ladle and take the berries out of the juice. At the same time, add the same amount of cranberries to the pot and let it boil down again until it is all reduced. Finally, pour the cranberry compote into jars and stir well.
Pssssssttt…I’ll let you in on a secret that’s not so secret anymore. Cranberries are a real superfood, they have a high vitamin C content and also contain potassium, phosphorus, and sodium. The “miracle berry” also has a disinfecting effect. So, a “Grannggnwossa” (cranberry juice) helps with gum infections, bladder infections, and also with colds. Simply prepare the miracle remedy with water and your homemade cranberry jam.
Bildnachweis: Katharina Huber