Fruit · Fall & Winter
Cranberry
Uniquely American, cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) are one of the few major fruits native to North America. Along with blueberries and Concord grapes, they were born on native soil. These tart, ruby berries come in shades from faintly pink to deep crimson and pack an astringent punch that demands sweetening.
Cranberries have deep historical roots in American culture — served at the 1703 Harvard College commencement dinner and beloved by Benjamin Franklin during his time in England. Today, they're a beloved fall and winter ingredient in sauces, juice, desserts, and countless dishes.
"Cramberys" were on the menu at the 1703 commencement dinner at Harvard College — among the earliest documented American uses of cranberries.
Benjamin Franklin, homesick for his favorite foods while living in England in the mid-1700s, would ask his wife Deborah to ship him cranberries.
The cranberry became the official state berry of Massachusetts in 1994 and the official state fruit of Wisconsin in 2004.
Cranberries are evergreen vines with short, woody runner stems that creep along the ground — members of the Heather family along with blueberries and bilberries.
Fresh Cranberries: Come in shades of red from faintly pink to deep crimson. Fresh berries should have a sheen with bright, opaque color. Avoid pale or translucent berries.
Quality Indicators: Bouncy, firm berries indicate freshness. Spoiled cranberries will be soft and won't bounce. For the most flavorful cranberries, look for a deep, rich color.
White Cranberries: Ripe berries picked a few weeks earlier before pigments deepen. Typically less tart than red cranberries. More commonly found as juice than fresh fruit.
Taste Note: Raw cranberries pack an astringent, sour punch. Unless you enjoy puckered lips, you'll want to sweeten them up in cooking.
Fresh Storage: Store in the refrigerator in the bag in which they were packed or in a well-ventilated bowl or colander. Cranberries do not like too much moisture.
Freezing: Since fresh cranberries are only available for a few weeks in fall, buy several bags and freeze them for later. Cranberries are lovely all winter long when frozen.
Dried Cranberries: Keep in a cool, dry place. Use in granola, snacks, biscotti, cookies, or grain dishes.
Cranberry Sauce: The classic preparation takes about 30 minutes from start to finish — fresh cranberries cooked down with sugar into a tart-sweet sauce perfect for holiday tables.
Baked Goods: Add to biscotti, twist into oatmeal-raisin cookies, or use dried cranberries in granola and snack mixes.
Grain Dishes: Toss dried or fresh cranberries into rice pilafs and other grain dishes for a tart punch.
Juice & Beverages: Most Americans consume their annual cranberry fill as unsweetened juice — an excellent source of Vitamin C and A.
Fresh Cranberries: A good source of Vitamin C and fiber. Rich in anthocyanins, the source of their red pigment, which have been linked to lowered risk of Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, and diabetes.
Cranberry Juice: Unsweetened juice is an excellent source of Vitamin C and a good source of Vitamin A, though it contains 30 grams of sugar per cup. Choose unsweetened varieties.
The tart flavor comes from beneficial compounds that support overall health and wellness.
Seasonality: Fresh cranberries have one season: fall. Harvested from late September until early November, with Oregon and Washington having later harvests producing more deeply pigmented fruit. Most supermarket availability extends into mid-December.
Production: Wisconsin produces 60% of the nation's 8-million-barrel annual haul, followed by Massachusetts (about one-fourth). Smaller yields come from New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington. In Canada, British Columbia leads production. Ocean Spray has expanded operations to Chile.
Water Use: Cranberry bogs require tremendous amounts of water, particularly during harvest. Wisconsin still observes an 1867 "Cranberry Law" exempting growers from permitting to build dams for production.
Regulatory Issues: Cranberry growers are exempt from several pieces of the Clean Water Act, effectively allowing discharge of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers into waterways.
Positive Changes: The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association is experimenting with solar-powered automated irrigation and low-phosphorus fertilizer to conserve water and protect adjacent wetlands and ponds.
Climate Impact: Climate change is increasingly affecting cranberry production, changing harvest patterns and fruit quality.
Testing: The USDA has not tested conventional cranberries for pesticide residues since 2006, which explains their absence from the Environmental Working Group's Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce.
Historical Data: Over a decade ago, 69% of sampled cranberries contained residues from 13 different pesticides. Three pesticides detected — acephate, chlorpyrifos, and methamidophos — belong to a class of highly toxic organophosphates.
When possible, seek out organic cranberries or organic cranberry juice for reduced pesticide exposure.
Available Near You
Enter your ZIP code to find farms with cranberry near you.
Recipes with Cranberry
Coming Soon