Fresh Cranberries
Estimated Inventory, 24 ct : 0
This item was last sold on : 12/31/24
Description/Taste
Cranberries are round, elongated fruits that measure in size from 1.5 to 3 centimeters. They grow on low, bushy, trailing vines with oval leaves, and take about 16 months to mature. Their skins ripen from green to white, then to a glossy, scarlet red. The firm flesh is a bright, creamy white and has a crisp texture. There are four small air pockets in the center of each berry, giving it buoyancy and bounce. This earned them the name “Bounceberry” for a time. Cranberries have a bitter, starchy and tart flavor. The best fresh Cranberries are not only firm to the touch but have a bouncy quality, that indicates ripeness.
Seasons/Availability
Cranberries are available in the fall through the winter months.
Current Facts
Cranberries, also referred to as American Cranberries, are botanically known as Vaccinium macrocarpon. They are one of the few varieties of berry native to the Americas, and are related to the European or “highbrush” cranberry. Cranberries were historically used for medicinal purposes by the native tribes in North America. Within a few centuries the tart berries had become a staple at the American Thanksgiving table. Settlers in Wisconsin called them 'crane berries', after the plant’s pink flowers that resembled the head of the sandhill crane, which often fed on the berries in the region. The naturally tart berries grow in bogs, or low-lying dry areas that are flooded with water both in the winter to protect the crop, and then again in the fall for harvest. Dry harvesting was too laborious and because the berries float in water, the “wet harvest” proved more economical and efficient.
Nutritional Value
Cranberries are well known for the health benefits they provide. The small, tart berries are rich in vitamin C and have high amounts of pectin, a polysaccharide that thickens when heated. They are a good source of dietary fiber and manganese, and contain vitamin E, copper and potassium. Cranberries have high levels of polyphenols and phytonutrients, which give the skin of the berries their intense red-color. These compounds provide antioxidant, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory benefits. Research has shown that the proanthocyanidins present in Cranberries help prevent bacteria from adhering to the lining of the stomach and urinary tract. To get the maximum health benefits from Cranberries they need to be eaten in a non-processed form.
Applications
Cranberries can be used whole, fresh, or cooked. Wash the berries and discard any soft, shriveled or sticky They can be dried or frozen whole, and are commercially canned or made into fruit juices and sauces. Whole Cranberries are most often cooked, along with sugar and sometimes citrus or other winter fruits, and made into a sauce or chutney. The acidity of the berries compliments both savory and sweet dishes. Cranberry sauce can be added to desserts and baked goods. Whole berries can be halved and added to beverages like sangria, or chopped and added to salad greens or soft cheeses. Dried Cranberries can be added to salads, stuffing, breads, cookies and cakes. Store Cranberries in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Native tribes in the Northern United States and Canada used Cranberries for a myriad of things, from food to dye, to medicinal purposes. They were known as “Atoca”, Sasumuneash, and Ibimi-bitter berries. The berries were a particularly important part of life and business in the area around the Hudson Bay, for not only the native people but also for the Europeans who settled and did trade there. The berries were used to make pemmican, a precursor to the modern-day power bar. They were made of pounded Cranberries, dried venison and animal fat. The high-energy trail bar was one of the primary sources of quick calories for traders, travelers, and the local tribe around what is current day Winnipeg, Manitoba. In 1814, the governor of the nearby Red River Colony issued the Pemmican Proclamation, in an effort to preserve food supplies for employees of the Hudson Bay Company. This led to clashes with the Métis tribe who had a thriving pemmican business and took the proclamation as a sanction against the tribe.
Geography/History
Cranberries are native to North America. Long before the Europeans arrived in America the plant was flourishing in the wild throughout Northeastern United States and Canada. Cranberries still grow in the wild and have been naturalized in other regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including Northern Europe and Northern Asia. In the United States, the primary Cranberry growing states are Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington. Wisconsin produces over 60% of the country’s Cranberries. Before the 1960s, Cranberries were harvested by hand, which was labor-intensive and time consuming. Wet-harvesting revolutionized the cultivation and growing process. This allowed the buoyant berries to float on the water's surface for easy harvest. Some bogs in Massachusetts and Wisconsin have been in the same family for multiple generations. Cranberry plants grow best in sandy, clay-like soil and cool climates.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Fresh Cranberries. One
is easiest, three is harder.
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