Cranberries, dried, sweetened

Fun Facts

1. Dried Cranberries are the dehydrated version of the Common Cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus). Well known for it’s canned varieties used during the American holiday season, the common cranberry is a relative of the blueberry.
2. Dried cranberries start out in acidic bogs in the cooler areas of the Northern Hemisphere. The plant is a small evergreen bush, growing low to the ground like a vine. The leaves of the plant are smaller than the berries, which are white until they ripen to a deep red. Tart and sweet, dried cranberries are a popular additon to salads, trail mix, muffins, and Thanksgiving dinners.
3. The cranberries float, and are hearded to one area of the bed where they are removed for further processing. Most of the berries are used for juice drinks, various cranberry sauces, and dried cranberries (usually sweetened and dried). The remaining products amount to only about 5% of a year’s production.
4. Dried cranberries are known to have a few health benefits. They are used widely for treating urinary tract issues, and for convenience cranberry concentrate pills are sold in the vitamin section of the supermarket.