Pumpkin Pecan Cranberry Bread — Its History and Ties to America
You’ll be delighted to discover the Americana of this holiday treat.
One of my favorite recipes for holiday cooking is Pumpkin Pecan Cranberry Bread. A delightful moist dense dark bread perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all your holiday events.
It is one of the most requested treats in my family. Once you make this bread, I’ll betcha it will be yours, too.
But before we get to the recipe itself, you may be interested to know a little of the history behind this bread. All the main ingredients are indigenous to North America. The pumpkins, pecans, and cranberries sustained Native Americans during harsh winter months.
With no further ado, let’s discover the history of my favorite holiday bread.
The Mighty Pumpkin
Pumpkins are in the squash family along with cucumbers and melons. They were an important food staple among Native Americans as far back as 7000 BC.
According to the University of California:
They would grow the squash along river banks next to maize and beans, a planting technique that was called the “Three Sisters Method,” which allowed the three crops to sustain each other. Corn served as…
