Fun Facts About Cranberries For Thanksgiving

Everyone loves Thanksgiving and we can also attest to the fact that it would not be the same without cranberries - can I get a witness! However, how many of us know about these tart berries? On the Sustainable, Secure Food blog there are loads of cranberry facts.

Cranberry is an example of a plant in the process of domestication, according to research scientist Kevin Kosola. The Native Americans enjoyed cranberries in wide varieties as medication as well as food. Cranberries are still found in sphagnum bogs throughout the U.S. and Canada. The top processing states for the cultivation of these cranberries are Wisconsin, Massachusetts and New Jersey.

A popular question in the mind of many is how do they grow? To get a visual perspective of the plant, it helps to picture cranberries as tiny versions of fruit trees, Kasola says. The upright fruiting grows from time to time along a ground-hugging vine. Getting this plant established can take a lot of time - several years - which is then followed by decades of successful production without having to go through major stress.

Beyond Thanksgiving

Clipping these cranberry plants is very unusual as many say it is somewhat hard. For those who are somewhat used to growing this plant, they spread a lot of sand over the frozen cranberry beds in the winter season. When the ice melts, the sand layer buries the lowest layers of existing vines promoting the growth of new uprights as well as the roots. The pattern of the soil moisture retention curve of the cranberry beds is usually a striped one, alternating leaf litter and sand as well as vines that reflect years of regular sanding.

The use of cranberries goes beyond the Thanksgiving season. They are used as sweetened, dried cranberries as a snack or in a salad. Also, you can enjoy a fresh cosmopolitan or a cranberry juice on the side. Irrespective of how you enjoy cranberries, you can also think about the origin of this fruit which is a part of Native American culture and the farmers who take their time to grow this fruit we now enjoy. This is a fascinating example of a crop grown on different and relatively small numbers of acres of land that has a big impact as part of a diverse diet plan. The use of cranberries for Thanksgiving as well as many other seasons is something which has a way of livening any event and can add more spark to your season.

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Written By:

Lisa S. Jones is a certified nurse, nutritionist, fitness coach and health expert. Her training credentials include a B.Sc. in Nursing from California State University in 2013 and Youth Nutrition Specialist Certification from the American Fitness Professionals and Associates in 2015. In 2017, she also received Holistic Nutrition Certification from the American Fitness Professionals and Associates.

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Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.