Cranberries
Cranberries are round, red berries grown on short shrubs. These vibrant-coloured berries have an acidic taste, and can be enjoyed in many different ways such as juice, sauce, jam, dried, and fresh. Most of the world’s production of cranberries comes from Canada, the United States, and Chile. In Canada cranberries are grown in Quebec and British Columbia.
Cranberry sauce is often served alongside turkey at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Dried cranberries are sweetened and can be added to salads, trailmix, baking, roasted vegetables, and more. Cranberry juice is often mixed with other fruit juices and sold as cranberry juice cocktail, as the other fruit juices add sweetness to the tart taste of cranberries. Fresh cranberries can be used in baking, roasted with vegetables, in smoothies, in ice cream, dips, and more.
In the past, cranberry beds were constructed in wetlands, now cranberry beds are constructed in areas with a shallow water table. Soil is used to build up dykes around the perimeter of the cranberry beds, and clean sand is hauled in to a depth of 10 to 20 cm to cover the ground. During the growing season, the cranberry beds are irrigated regularly to maintain moisture, however they are not flooded until harvest time.
In the Autumn, when the cranberries develop their deep red colour, the beds are flooded after the first frost to facilitate harvest. A harvester is driven through the beds which loosens the berries from the vines, and the cranberries float to the top. The cranberries are then moved to one corner of the bed and pumped out. They are then taken to receiving stations to be cleaned, sorted, and sent to be packaged or processed. Cranberries can also be harvested when they are still white, before they turn red, and they are turned into white cranberry juice.
The majority of cranberries are harvested through flooding, however there are some crops in the United States that are dry-picked. Dry picking means less bruising, and these cranberries can be sold fresh, instead of being processed into other forms.
Raw cranberries are made up of 87% water, and contain carbohydrates, vitamin C, and fiber. Dried cranberries lose their vitamin C content and are sweetened. Cranberries and cranberry products may have an anticoagulant effect, and people that take anticoagulant medication such as warfarin should consult their healthcare provider before consuming cranberry products.
Many people claim that cranberry products can reduce the risk of urinary tract (bladder) infections, especially for people that suffer from recurring urinary tract infections. However there is not much evidence to support this claim, cranberry is not well tested as a treatment for urinary tract infections. If you would like to try cranberry juice to prevent urinary tract infections, try drinking pure, unsweetened cranberry juice instead of cranberry juice cocktail.
Check out these delicious ways to enjoy cranberries:
Thyme-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Fresh Cranberries Recipe (allrecipes.com)
Butternut Squash and Cranberry Muffins Recipe (allrecipes.com)