Once the weather starts to gets chilly and the holidays roll around, you likely want to bake all of the cranberry desserts that you can think of. But how much do you really know about this tart winter berry? Here are a few interesting facts about cranberries.
- Cranberries grow in swamps and bogs. They grow well throughout much of North America, and there are more than 3,500 different species of cranberries found in areas from the icy cold polar regions all the way to the tropics.
- Contrary to popular belief, cranberries don’t grow in water. These small berries grow on low vines throughout marshes, and when it comes time to harvest them, farmers flood the marshes with water and the air-filled berries float to the top.
- Americans consume 20 percent of the country’s annual cranberry intake during Thanksgiving time. There are 400 million pounds of cranberries consumed each year, and 80 million of those pounds are eaten during the week of Thanksgiving.
- Cranberries are filled with vitamin C. In fact, hundreds of years ago American ships carried vessels of cranberries because they were known to prevent scurvy. Although they didn’t know it at the time, it was due to the berry's high amounts of vitamin C.
Cranberry Facts and History [University of Maine]
Find out what cranberries can do for you! [Wisconsin Cranberries]
Cranberry Facts [Teacher Vision]
Cranberry Facts [Wisconsin Rapids]
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