When in the 17^th century the first European settlers discovered the plants, known as mossberry in north-eastern Canada, in the high bogs in eastern North America, the oddly-shaped filaments of the blossoms reminded them of the bill of a crane. Thus the fruit was given a new name: “cranberry”. Related to the genus that includes blueberries, the North American large cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is hardier and not as round as the common cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus) found in Europe and Asia.

Cranberries grow on shrubs and spread along the ground via creeper vines. When commercially grown, primarily in New England, the fields are flooded with water at harvest time in September and October. Special machines separate the berries from the vines and collect them from the surface of the water. Before entering the retail market as fresh produce, each individual berry must pass over a ten-centimetre barrier seven times (!) to prove its firmness and intactness. Only those berries that survive this process undamaged are sold as whole fruit. Those that fail are processed into juice or compote.

Cranberries contain a lot of healthy phytochemicals, vitamin C, A and K as well as sodium and potassium. Due to their high pectin content, they thicken when boiled in sugar and water into a viscous sauce that goes well with poultry and game, pumpkin and red cabbage. Finely cut or puréed, cranberries with apple, orange or pineapple juice become a fruity topping. Together with spices such as vanilla and cinnamon they turn walnut muffins, apple cakes and strudels into an especially delicious treat. Cranberries are also responsible for the characteristic red colour of the “Cosmopolitan” cocktail.

Fresh berries can be stored for up to three months in the crisper of the refrigerator or be frozen. At -18° C they can keep for at least one year.

Further information are available at http://www.uscranberries.com/ and http://www.cranberryinstitute.org/ .

Recipes with cranberries: