Cranberry
Evergreen dwarf shrubs producing acidic red berries, widely cultivated for processing.
The fruit is a berry that is initially light green, turning red when ripe, with an acidic taste that usually overwhelms its sweetness.[1] Cranberry plants are low-growing, creeping shrubs or vines that can reach lengths of up to 2 meters, featuring slender, wiry stems and small leaves that remain green year-round.[2]
Quick Facts
- Subdivision
- Vaccinium erythrocarpum
- Vaccinium japonicum
- Vaccinium macrocarpon
- Vaccinium microcarpum
- Vaccinium oxycoccos
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
The name cranberry derives from the Middle Low German kraanbere, first used in English by missionary John Eliot in 1647.[3] In New Jersey, cranberry farming began in 1835 in a bog near Burrs' Mills in Burlington County.[4] By 1900, 21,500 acres were under cultivation in the New England region.[5] In 1959, some of the cranberry crop was tainted with traces of the herbicide aminotriazole, causing the market to collapse.[6]
Henry Hall, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War, began the first cultivation of cranberries around 1816 in Dennis, located on Cape Cod.[7]
What the cited sources add
The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center notes that cranberry juice or extracts may be helpful for urinary tract infections in limited populations, but there is not enough evidence to recommend it for UTI prevention.[8] That source also states that in patients prone to kidney stones, regular use of cranberry should be avoided as it contains oxalates.[8] Lab studies suggest cranberry juice extract may inhibit various cancer cells, but these observations have not been studied in humans.[8] The Pinelands National Reserve account states that in New Jersey, some of the first cranberry farms are still operated by descendants of the original owners.[4]
The South Dakota State University Extension notes that Wisconsin is the leading state in cranberry production, growing 60% of all cranberries consumed in the United States.[9]
References
- Wikipedia, "Cranberry" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Keith, "Cranberries: A colorful and nutritious fruit", South Dakota State University Extension (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Cranberry" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "About Cranberries", Cranberry Institute (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Cranberry" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "American Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon): FAQ", Research Guides, University of Wisconsin Libraries, Madison, WI, 2017; "Cranberry", Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, 2017; "Cranberries: The Most Intriguing Native North American Fruit", Apsnet Feature Articles, 2000; "Cranberry", Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, 2017 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "The Cranberry Story", Pinelands National Reserve. facts only, no text reused. nj.gov
- Wikipedia, "Cranberry" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Cranberries: The Most Intriguing Native North American Fruit", Apsnet Feature Articles, 2000; Ben-Zvi, Y., "Advances in cranberry insect pest management: A literature synthesis", Frontiers in Agronomy, 2023; "Cranberry production in top-producing States to increase modestly in 2021", Economic Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, 24 November 2021; Ben-Zvi, Y., "Advances in cranberry insect pest management: A literature synthesis", Frontiers in Agronomy, 2023 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Cranberry" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Zeldes, "Eat this! Cranberries more than a thanksgiving condiment", Dining Chicago, 25 November 2009 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Cranberry" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Cranberries: The Most Intriguing Native North American Fruit", Apsnet Feature Articles, 2000; "Cranberries: The Most Intriguing Native North American Fruit", Apsnet Feature Articles, 2000 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Cranberry", Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 2016. facts only, no text reused. mskcc.org
- Keith, "Cranberries: A colorful and nutritious fruit", South Dakota State University Extension. facts only, no text reused. extension.sdstate.edu
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Cranberry (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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