Anatomy of a Cranberry

What is a cranberry? Sure, it's that bittersweet deep red berry we enjoy with turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving. But the cranberry is so much more and can be a benefit every day of the year. Vaccinium macrocarpon, the American cranberry, is grown across the northern United States and parts of Canada. It is a member of the Ericaceae family, the heather family. The Latin name is derived from the word vacca, which means cow. Apparently, cows didn't mind the tart taste of the berry and were often seen grazing in the bogs.

Cranberry production began in Massachusetts and grew to include Oregon, Washington, New Jersey, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Delaware. While there are over 150 other varieties grown around the world, the American berry is larger, juicier and more popular.

The cranberry is one of only three fruits native to North America- the other two being the Concord grape and the blueberry. The topside of the leaves are dark green and shiny while the underside is a dull gray-green color. The berry comes in varying shades of red and has an oval shape. In June, the first flowers bloom on the vines. They range from white to pale pink and are bell shaped. Because the flower droops, early settlers thought it resembled a crane so they named the berry "crane berry." Inside the fleshy berry are tiny seeds and air pockets. The air pockets are what make water harvesting so successful because the berries float to the top and are easy to gather.

There are many benefits to enjoying this berry in all of its various forms. Here are some of the key ingredients found in the cranberry:

Vitamin C- This is one of the antioxidant nutrients found in the cranberry. The high concentration of Vitamin C was realized early on and that is why sailors in the 1800's carried barrels of the berries with them to seas to help prevent scurvy.

Polyphenols- To include tannins, these are antioxidants that exist in high levels in the cranberry. It contains more phenols than many fruits and five times more than broccoli. Even the fruit juice is rich in the antioxidant.

Beta Carotene- Also known as Vitamin A, this nutrient is usually associated with carrots and eyesight, but the cranberry also contains this vitamin. Maybe there was some validity to the Roman invaders theory that their enemies had heightened night vision after eating a European version of the cranberry.

Benzoic Acid- The presence of this organic acid is why the cranberry is so easily stored and keeps for long periods of time.

Hippuric Acid- The quinic acid found in the cranberry converts to hippuric acid in the body giving the cranberry its antibacterial quality.

Dietary Fiber- The cranberry contains very little natural sugar, so the fiber found is healthy and leaves a full feeling without the guilt.

Pectin- This substance is part of the fiber found in the cranberry. Its presence makes the cranberry great for making sauces, jams and jellies. Pectin also prevents the loss of nutrients in the berry because it lessens the cooking time

Other vitamins and nutrients found in the cranberry include- Magnesium, Folate, Potassium, Calcium, Zinc, Vitamin A and E. Other organic acids include- ellagic, malic, citric and ferrulic. The darker berries have the highest concentration of nutrients and healthful benefits.

While tiny and perhaps passed over in lieu of more familiar fruits, the cranberry packs a punch with a variety of nutrients and is gaining in popularity with the variety of products now available.