The History Guy is here once again to remember that time the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, Arthur Fleming, nearly killed the cranberry industry just before Thanksgiving and two presidential candidates (Nixon and Kennedy) tried to one up each other in their love of the tart fruit of the bog. Watch
9 Comments on The Great Cranberry Scare of 1959
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As one guy commented under the video:
cranberry history is more interesting than anything on network TV.
Ah yes, I recall the panic in the house. Our holiday tradition of having cranberry relish with a turkey dinner took a dive for a year or two. But I continue to make it, serve it and eat it as well, to this day. No known issues…yet.
Mmmm cranberry smoosh. I discovered the lumpy kind with the cranberry bits and I love that so much.
I hate the gelled one from the can. Couldn’t they at least change the markings inside of the can so the cranberry doesn’t look like it came from an oil barrel? And that weird suction noise when it falls out of the can. LOL.
with you, MJA … that stuff ain’t right
I remember that! My mom had to make some kind of spiced apple rings that year. My dad was VERY disappointed. He loved cranberry sauce. What a sad, sad year. But we survived. Now look at all the food scares we have. I’ve decided to never eat anything green from the store or at a restaurant. I would much rather have a little aminotriazole than E.coli or cryptosporidium!
MJA-LOVE your description! HAH!
I like buying the bags and throwing them in the freezer. I eat them during the year, ‘fresh’.
You know what I can’t find anywhere? Those horrifically sour green plums. Where dey at?
Did you notice the history guy was wearing a cranberry colored, bow tie? I like cranberries but I’ve never cared for bow rise.
Holy crap,
Dear ol’ Dad bought into that bullshit….hook, line and sinker. He told Mom to dump the cranberry sauce…..we all went without cranberries that year….and probably the next two or three also.
Personally, I am up to here with our ‘over protective government’ dictating their crap. Especially when, in all likelihood, they are profiting from the lobbyists.
Sorry, don’t recall it. I was only 7 y.o., but also never cared much for cranberries until at least three decades later. Might have developed a taste for them after being told to drink cranberry juice following kidney stone attacks.