NAME: Cranberry
SPECIES / FAMILY: Vaccinium Macrocarpon / Ericaceae
OTHER COMMON NAME(S): American Cranberry, Bog, Swamp
CONDITIONS:
sun-partial shade
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EDIBLE |
TASTE |
RAW/COOK |
SEASON |
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All |
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Shoots |
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Leaves |
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Stalk/Stem |
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Buds |
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Flowers |
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Fruits |
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tart/cooked |
RAW/DRY/COOK |
Aug-Oct |
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Pods |
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Seeds |
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Nuts |
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Roots |
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Bark |
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PORTION: small-medium
COMMENT: Fruit - raw or cooked. It can also be dried for winter use, fruit is too acid for most tastes to be eaten raw, so it is mainly used in pies, preserves etc. It is said that a teaspoon of salt added to the cooking fruit can take the place of half the sugar normally used.(1)
CAUTION:
NUTRITION/MEDICINAL: Antineoplastics; Appetizer; Hypoglycaemic; Miscellany; Rich in Vitamin C. An infusion of the branches has been used as a treatment for pleurisy.(1) According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health, cranberry juice is equally effective as Chlorhexidine mouthwash, without the side effects. (4) That said, too much acid on teeth, including from cranberry juice, can be harmful.
LOOK-A-LIKES:
POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES:
OTHER USES:
SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):
- https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Vaccinium+macrocarpon
- http://www.eattheweeds.com/get-your-annual-vaccinium-every-year-2
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccinium_macrocarpon
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4319342
- https://www.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2018/11/wild_cranberries_in_pennsylvan.html (great overview)
- https://wildfoodism.com/2014/11/19/the-simple-guide-to-locating-identifying-and-harvesting-wild-cranberries-or-any-wild-food-using-these-6-steps