Ocean Spray Welcoming Original Cranberry Creations for its Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest
LAKEVILLE-MIDDLEBORO, Mass. (March 14, 2008) – Ocean Spray is seeking original cranberry recipes from those passionate about the little, red wonder-berry for the Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest. Novices to skilled experts across the country are asked to cook up, mix up and serve up their best cranberry-inspired ideas for a chance at $25,000 for the winning recipe. Cranberry contest hopefuls can enter starting today, March 14, 2008, at www.oceanspray.com (for home cooks) or www.oceansprayfoodservice.com (for foodservice professionals).
From holiday to everyday, the versatility and uniquely tart flavor of cranberries make them a dynamic addition to any culinary concoction. From dressings to drinks, soups to salads, and tarts to tapas, the recipe options are endless, making cranberries the perfect ingredient to inspire the palette.
“Ocean Spray launched the Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest last year to celebrate the cranberry year-round and encourage food lovers to get creative with how this traditional American fruit can be used,” said Ken Romanzi, chief operating officer of Ocean Spray, domestic. “This year, we’re hoping contestants take their cranberry innovations to a new level.”
Recipes must be original, use Ocean Spray products and can be entered in a variety of categories ranging from beverages to baked goods. Recipes will be judged on creativity, use of product, taste, overall appearance and ease of preparation.
Each finalist recipe will be featured on www.oceanspray.com. For more details, official entry guidelines and contest deadlines for the Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest and the 2007 finalist recipes, visit www.oceanspray.com or www.oceansprayfoodservice.com.
The winners of the 2007 Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest were Karen Harris with her “Pan Seared Chicken Breasts with CranCherry® Sauce and Bleu Cheese Crumbles” for the consumer category and Jeff Leidy of Centerplate with his “Cranberry Mojito” for the foodservice category.
Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative owned by more than 650 cranberry growers in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and other parts of Canada as well as about 50 Florida grapefruit growers. Ocean Spray was formed 75 years ago by three cranberry growers from Massachusetts and New Jersey. Florida grapefruit growers joined the Cooperative in 1976. Ocean Spray is North America’s leading producer of canned and bottled juices and juice drinks, and has been the best-selling brand name in the canned and bottled juice category since 1981. Ocean Spray posted fiscal 2006 sales of roughly $1.5 billion.
