Cranberry sauce ranked low on favorite fall foods list: Here's what beat the tart treat

Does cranberry sauce rank high in the yummy universe of fall foods? Well, sort of.

While Cape Codders are known for their love of all things cranberry , it seems the rest of the country has other seasonal treats on their minds. Cranberry sauce, the essential sidekick to autumn feasts, finished 40th out of 50 in a recent survey of America's favorite fall foods for 2024.

The website Wealth of Geeks polled 3,000 foodies in their quest for the best, then broke down the results by state. Cranberry sauce from Massachusetts finished in the bottom tier, eclipsed by dishes including hazelnut stuffing ( Oregon ) and persimmon pudding ( California ).

While it's sweet that cranberry sauce made the list, the lower ranking might seem a bit sour. Is it fair? Let's take a look at the results of the fall food survey, and you be the judge.

What were the top five finishers in the 2024 survey of America's fall foods?

It's hard to argue with the top choice on the list: pumpkin pie ( Illinois ). According to Wealth of Geeks, "Illinois is the top producer of pumpkins in the United States" and the "smooth, spiced filling made from fresh pumpkin puree is a symbol of the autumn harvest."

Rounding out the top five were chili ( Texas ), pecan pie ( Alabama ), gumbo ( Louisiana ) and pumpkin bread ( Kansas ). Critics could question the autumn affiliation of chili and gumbo, but pumpkin bread and pecan pie seem like solid fall choices.

Fried cake fans might take issue with apple cider donuts ( New York ) finishing sixth on the list. A solid case can be made that these hole-y delights reign supreme in the fall treat universe.

How did New England states rank on the fall food list?

The Bay State took a back seat here, as cranberry sauce (Massachusetts), in 40th place, was bested by the rest of the New England states. Maple cream pie ( Vermont ) came in at No. 12, followed by clam chowder ( Connecticut ) at 14, maple syrup pie ( New Hampshire ) at 15, wild blueberry pie ( Maine ) at 19 and johnnycakes ( Rhode Island ) at 37.

Cape Codders are sure to wonder how clam chowder became a Connecticut thing, especially if they are referring to (gasp) Manhattan clam chowder, the curious concoction that inadvisably introduces a tomato-based broth to the proceedings.

It also seems a tad unfair to pit a sauce against maple and blueberry pies!

Cranberry sauce recipe

Perhaps the best way to build grassroots support is to make a delicious cranberry sauce and share it with your friends and neighbors. We found this tantalizing recipe for Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce on the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association website:

Ingredients:

6 cups cranberries1 cup white sugar1 cup dark brown sugar1½ cups apple cider or juice (cranberry, orange, etc.)3 small oranges or clementines, peeled, coarsely chopped3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice½ cup maple syrup1 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)

Method: Combine cranberries, sugars and juice in a heavy, large stock pot and simmer over medium-low heat until the cranberry skins begin to burst. Stir in clementines or oranges and lemon juice, continue to simmer for 10 minutes more. Remove from heat, and stir in maple syrup, cool to room temperature. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Stir in nuts if desired and refrigerate in a tightly sealed container until ready to serve, up to 5 days.

Eric Williams writes about a variety of ways to enjoy the Cape, the weather, wildlife and other subjects. Contact him at ewilliams@capecodonline.com . Follow him on X: @capecast.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cranberry sauce ranked low on favorite fall foods list: Here's what beat the tart treat