Growing the Healthful Cranberry

In previous years cranberry's claim to fame was cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving and juices sold throughout the year. These days the cranberry has been labeled a superfruit and recent studies claim cranberries provide a multitude of healthful benefits. One of the newest claims is omega 3 from cranberry seeds.

Cranberry production is at about 675 million pounds yearly, in the U.S. Most of these cranberries are processed into juices and cranberry sauce or dried. But as cranberry's new healthful reputation grows, the demand for cranberries for use in supplements is likely to grow also. Omega 3 from cranberries is just a small market now, as is the supplement market. But as new research provides further information regarding omega 3 from cranberries and other healthful claims, this market is showing huge potential and the need for cranberries will likely grow to meet these new demands.

The cranberry was first called craneberry by the pilgrims. It's believed the name came from the cranberry flowers that resembled the crane or the fact that cranes seem to love cranberries and eat them regularly; either way the name craneberry, over time, became cranberry. These days the cranberry's new reputation as a superfruit may change the name again as new discoveries, including omega 3 from cranberries, are revealed to the public.

Cranberry vines grow easily in their natural habitat; boggy beds in the cooler northern regions of the U.S. Contrary to popular knowledge, cranberries do not grow in flooded beds, but rather marshy areas layered with sand, peat, gravel and clay. They like to stay moist but not stand in water. The images of flooded cranberry beds are at harvest time. Cranberries float to the surface and are scooped up by machinery, this method makes harvesting the cranberry for products including omega 3 from cranberries much easier than dry picking.

Two common varieties of cranberry today are hybrids of old favorites; the Northern cranberry and the American cranberry. These hybrid varieties are the Ben Lear and the Stevens cranberry. Both hybrid varieties produce the seeds that are rich in omega 3 from cranberries and both are perennials with a trailing habit and upright branches where the berries will develop. They grow on spreading woody vines with a growing season from May to October. September and October are harvesting time in the cranberry growing communities. These cranberries, once picked are shipped to processing plants for products including omega 3 from cranberries.

Today cranberry growers recognize the need for industry promotion and several regions are now holding cranberry harvest festivals. These festivals have picking demonstrations as well as recipes and cooking demonstrations. As the popularity of these festivals grows other cranberry products may be featured including some of the healthful products such as omega 3 from cranberries as well as dried encapsulated supplements.

Every cranberry has seeds and these seeds are the source of omega 3 from cranberries. But the seeds of the cranberry until recently were just a waste product of the cranberry processing method. With the discovery of omega 3 from cranberries the seeds are now in big demand, especially since it takes a truckload of these small seeds to produce 5 gallons of the cold pressed cranberry oil. The oil is mild in flavor with no bitter or unsavory aftertaste. This has been a common problem with many other sources of omega 3 including other plant derived products and one of the reasons many people avoid other forms of omega 3 supplements. Omega 3 from cranberries may just be the solution to this problem and help many people increase their intake of omega 3 from cranberries.

Source:
Leader-Telegram
Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association

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