Interesting facts about cranberries

[Blue Baboon]

The poll of the week thread on what should be Wisconsin's state food got me thinking about a project I did for my marketing class a while back on Ocean Spray and cranberries. Here's some interesting facts about cranberries:

Wisconsin is the largest producer of cranberries.

Cranberries are grown in 5 states (Wis, Washington, Mass., New Jersey, and Oregon) and Canada

The cranberry gets it's name from the settlers who thought the cranberry flower looked like a crane's head and bill, so they called it crane berry.

Cranberries don't grow in water, but in sandy bogs or marshes. Bogs are flooded at harvesting time because it makes the cranberries easier to harvest.

Fresh cranberries will float because they have an air pocket in them, rotten fruit sinks.

Fresh berries also bounce and the bounce test is used when companies package cranberries.

Ocean Spray used to throw away the hulls of the cranberry, now they turn them into Craisins instead and it is $100 million industry for them. Can you imagine throwing about $100 million?

Americans consume 400 million pounds of cranberries a year.

It takes 440 berries to make a pound. It takes 4400 berries to make a gallon of juice, and 440,000 berries to fill a barrel.

7 out of 10 cranberries in the world are sold by Ocean Spray.

Cranberries don't make good wine because they don't ferment like other fruits.

3 fruits native to North America are blueberries, cranberries, and concord grapes.

Only 5% of Wisconsin's cranberry crop is sold as fresh berries.

One cup of fresh cranberries contains about 50 calories. One cup of cranberry sauce contains about 400 calories.

White cranberry juice comes from immature berries before they turn red.

Wet harvesting is done by using a machine called a water reel that creates turbulence in the water of a flooded bog. The berries are shaken loose from the vine and fresh ones float to the surface. These are corralled by a boom and sucked out of the water into containers. These berries will be used for sauces and juices.

Dry harvesting is done by using a machine that combs the berries from the vines. This method involves more labor. These berries will be used be sold as fresh produce.

The "wonderberry" has many health benefits of cranberries are: fights urinary tract infections, prevents plague formation on teeth, helps against stomach cancer and ulcers, reduces bad cholesterol, and protects against heart disease.

[dgridley]

I always loved the Ocean Spray cranberry commercials:

YouTube - Ocean Spray Your Sweet Cranberry...

Some of Ocean Spray's member growers are located in Wisconsin.

Thanks for the informative post, Blue Baboon!

[CarolsCritterCare]

I use cranberry all the time for the critters. Keeps the urine ph at a proper level, good for detoxing and flushing their system, helps prevent urine crystals.

Cranberry for Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections - December 1, 2004 - American Family Physician

[CarolsCritterCare]

Research has shown that drinking cranberry juice makes the urine more acidic. Since common urinary tract infections in pets (especially dogs) are caused by bacteria such as E. coli ~ which function best in alkaline urine ~ many holistic doctors promote cranberry juice extracts for treating bladder infections.

[CarolsCritterCare]

Did you know you can make lip gloss out of cranberries??

Take 10 cranberries, 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of almond oil and put them in the microwave for two minutes

Mash and stir up the mix

Cool down the mixture then use a fine sieve to strain the slop

Pour the mixture into a small container

Apply on lips as needed

[CarolsCritterCare]

Aromatherapy with cranberry

Place cranberries around a burning candle in a bowl filled with water

This mixture is appealing to the eyes and the nose

Replace the berries after two weeks

[CarolsCritterCare]

Cranberry Salad Dressing

Whip up a 1/2 cup of cranberry sauce (jellied version) with 1/3 cup of red wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water

Wala! You have your salad dressing

[CarolsCritterCare]

Cranberries were first harvested by American Indians who used them to make a cooked sauce with honey or maple sugar, which was then used as a condiment for meat. These tart ruby-colored berries quickly became an essential part of the Pilgrims' diet. Cultivation of the cranberry began in the area of Massachusetts known as Cape Cod in the early 1800s. Success led to the industry spreading to New Jersey in the 1830s, Wisconsin in the 1850s, and by 1880 the Pacific Northwest

[CarolsCritterCare]

Unlike any other crop known to agriculture, cranberries rely on water and sandy soil for their cultivation. A high watertable and coarsely textured sand provide an area where cranberries can thrive. In 1816, Henry Hall of Dennis, Massachusetts watched as high tide from a storm washed over his cranberry bog, bringing in sand. This caused the berries to grow much better and faster. Hall's observations are the cornerstone of how cranberries have been farmed to this day

[dgridley]

Cranberry sauce is one of my favorite treats at Thanksgiving. Cranberry juice can also be a great aid for dieters.

[Kens Digital Media]

Interesting information! Reading this is making me want a glass of cranberry juice, lol

[keith]

I'm with Ken; WOW!

Great post, Blue Baboon!

I took some back roads from Black River Falls to Merrill last summer and saw a lot of bogs and canneries along the way, and I mean a lot! This is quite an industry in Wisconsin, particularly in the rural areas. I do believe I'll go out of my way to consume some of Wisconsin's rubies as a result of this thread.

Regards,
Keith

[CarolsCritterCare]

Cranberry juice mixed with 7-up is pretty good.