And Now a Word from Ocean Spray

Cranberries are actually one of the most unique fruits in the world. In fact, it's only one of three fruits that are native to North America. They are a wild fruit that grow on long-running vines in sandy bogs and marshes. Mostly in the northeast, but also in other parts of North America, like Wisconsin and the Pacific Northwest. It was Native Americans who first took advantage of cranberries. They mixed deer meat and mashed cranberries to make pemmicana-survival food. They also believed in the medicinal value of cranberries--long before science discovered cranberry's health benefits! Medicine men would use cranberries in poultices to draw poison from arrow wounds. They also used the rich red juice of the cranberry as a natural dye for rugs, blankets and clothing. Legend has it that the Pilgrims served cranberries at the first Thanksgiving. The tradition still continues today.

Sailors used cranberries as a source of vitamin C to prevent scurvy. And besides Vitamin C, we now know that cranberries are also full of antioxidants that help cleanse and purify the body.

Cranberries were called "sassamanesh" by Eastern Indians. While the Cape Cod Pequots and the South Jersey Leni-Lenape tribes named them "ibimi," or bitter berry. A very apropos name. And the Algonquins of Wisconsin called the fruit "atoqua." But it was the early German and Dutch settlers who started calling it the "crane berry" because the flower looked a lot like the head and bill of a crane.

Cranberries are primarily grown in five U.S. states " Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington " as well as British Columbia and Quebec, Canada.