All About: Cranberries

Handling Cranberries Tips Yield Substitution Nutrition

There are only three major fruits that are native to North America: blueberries, Concord grapes, and cranberries. Cranberries got their name because the flowers of the shrub look like the head of the cranes that love to eat them. They are also known as bounceberries because the ripe ones bounce, bearberries because bears like them, too, and bogberries since they are grown in bogs. We could probably call them juice berries because that is exactly what we do with over 1/3 of the over five hundred million pounds that are harvested each year in the United States.

Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Washington, and Oregon are the major growing states for cranberries. The farms range in size from about three to over 1200 acres. The bogs are sandy and often flooded; many of them have been producing fruit for over a century. Harvest starts around Labor Day and ends around Halloween.

Besides sauce and juice, cranberries make great pies and cobblers and are very good when added to muffins, scones, and other baked goods. Cranberries are usually sold fresh in 12-ounce plastic bags. Look for cranberries that are not shriveled and have intense, bright color and no signs of darkening or bruising.

Handling Cranberries

Fresh cranberries will keep for about 2 months when stored in an airtight plastic bag in the refrigerator. They also freeze very well for up to 1 year.

Just before cooking, sort the cranberries discarding any that are shriveled, soft, bruised, or discolored, or have cuts. Pluck off any stems, wash the berries, and let drain.

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Tips

• Frozen cranberries do not need to be thawed before cooking.
• To make chopping cranberries easy and quick, put them in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse on/off until they are chopped.
• When making fresh cranberry sauce, cook only until the berries just pop or they will become very mushy.

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Yield

1 12-ounce bag = about 3 cups whole berries or 2-1/2 cups chopped

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Substitution

If fresh cranberries are not available, use frozen or dried.

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Nutrition

Cranberries are about 82 percent water and contain no fat or cholesterol. They also contain potassium, calcium, and phosphorus and have a very high vitamin C content.

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Fruits

ApplesApricotsBananasBlueberriesCherriesCranberriesGrapesMangoesPapayaPeachesPearsPersimmonsPineapplesPomegranatesPumpkinsStrawberriesTomatoesWatermelon