Cranberry

Cranberries, like many other berries, are high in organic acids such as ellagic acid.  Ellagic acid has been shown to be a cancer-fighting phytochemical.  When converted to hippuric acid in the body, organic acids are believed to have an antibacterial effect. Cranberries are also thought to help lower blood sugar levels and treat urinary tract infections.
 
The cranberry is closely related to the blueberry, mossberry, and lingonberry. The cranberry is an epigynous or false berry; the fruit is derived from an inferior, rather than superior ovary, as would be the case with a true berry.

Cranberries are evergreen, creeping bog shrubs, native to cool, temperate areas. Harvesting the cranberry from the shrubs can be done two ways: wet or dry. Wet harvesting of cranberries involves flooding the bog where the cranberries are growing, beating the fruit from the vines, and corralling the fruit to where it is lifted by conveyor to trucks for transport. Dry harvesting is done by hand or with rakes. Dry harvesting is less damaging to the fruit, but more labor intensive. This method is used primarily for fruit that is sold fresh during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons.

Cranberries are generally too tart to eat raw or in any unsweetened form, but they can be combined with sweeter fruits such as apples or pears, so that very little additional sugar is needed.

Dried cranberries can be substituted for raisins or other dried fruits in compotes, cookies, and muffins.

  Available Cranberry Products:

• Cranberry Puree
  
  • Single Strength Puree, Natural Brix
    
  • Puree Concentrate
    
    
• Cranberry Juice Concentrate
  
  • Standard 50° Brix
    
  
  
• Dehydrated (Dried) Cranberry
  
  • Whole, half, slice, and bits
    
  • Various levels of sugar
    
  • Various levels of moisture
    
  • Various levels of color