The Winter Crop: Cranberries, Kiwis and Kumquats

There will be plenty of cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, thanks to a record crop of the tiny, tart fruits. More than 400 million pounds of cranberries are coming to market from Massachusetts, the chief source of supply, and also from Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington state.

The berries freeze well, so store a few bags for an ongoing supply of cranberry muffins, breads, chutneys, pies, cakes and other good things.

California kiwi is also setting a record--not for volume (the crop is slightly down this year) but for size and quality. A mild summer and late harvest allowed the fruit to develop in size and sugar content, according to Mark Houston of the California Kiwifruit Commission. Houston says prices should remain about the same, despite the diminished supply.

Southland supermarkets are still loaded with New Zealand kiwis and won’t have room for the California fruit for a couple of weeks. Availability continues through May, then the New Zealand fruit returns.

During the holidays, try adding diced kiwi to cranberry relish. And think about kumquat chutney or kumquat preserves as an extra condiment for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. The Coachella Valley has harvested a new kumquat crop and also its first fall tangerines. This brings to mind tangerine sorbet, which makes a welcome mid-course refresher or light dessert for elaborate holiday menus.

Some summer fruits are still around. There were super-sweet seedless green grapes on sale last week at the Los Angeles Farmers Market, held Wednesdays from 2 to 5 p.m. at 1432 West Adams Blvd. These San Joaquin Valley grapes were not fresh-picked. They’d spent some time in storage, but the stems were still green, as if the bunches had just come from the vine. And the grapes were firm and fresh-tasting. The price was 75 cents a pound.

The market also had strawberries, watermelon and corn on the cob. Evidences of fall included pomegranates at 75 cents a pound, persimmons at 65 cents and walnuts in the shell for $1.50 a pound.

Pomegranates and small-sized persimmons have been selling for as little as eight for $1 at the Grand Central Public Market. Pomegranates can be stored in a cool, dry place for a surprisingly long time. Even when the tough skin has become wrinkled and dry, the scarlet seeds may still be crisp and juicy.

Fresh pomegranate juice is a wonderful treat, but you need a press to extract it--and a lot of pomegranates. Meanwhile, try this old recipe for Pomegranate Cocktail that appeared in “The Wise Encyclopedia of Cookery,” published in 1948. Boil seeds of one large pomegranate along with two lemon slices in three cups of water until the water has absorbed the fruit’s color and flavor, about 15 minutes. Add one-half cup sugar and boil five minutes longer, then strain through double thickness of cheesecloth. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice. Chill. Makes three cups.