How and where do cranberries grow and how to collect them? Cranberry - medicinal properties and use in folk medicine, contraindications.

In old Europe it was believed that cranberry- a Russian berry that owes its origin specifically to Russia. It must be assumed that this opinion arose due to the activity of Russian merchants transporting cranberries to European countries, whose population is less inclined to gather. In the 10th-12th centuries, in addition to Russian merchants, cranberries came to Europe through the Vikings. IN northern countries sailors and warriors often took this berry with them as a cure for many ailments and as a delicious vitamin dessert.

In fact, cranberries are an international berry and grow in many countries, if conditions permit. And this berry loves swampy forest soil, sedge-sphagnum swamps, tundra and moss swamps. About 22 varieties of cranberries grow in Karelia alone, among which there are large-fruited varieties with berries up to 2 cm in diameter. Today cranberries can be found throughout Russia, including Far East. Ukraine, most of Europe (especially Scandinavia), the North of the USA, Canada and Alaska are rich in cranberries. Americans consider North America to be the birthplace of cranberries. The Delaware Indians believed that the berries grew on the ground where the blood of warriors who died in battle with giants was shed.

Cranberry is an evergreen plant, a shrub with thin and low shoots. The length of the shoots is on average about 30 cm, the berries of wild cranberries are red, spherical, 8-12 mm in diameter. Some specially bred varieties have berries up to 2 cm in diameter. Cranberries bloom in June, berry picking begins in September and continues throughout the fall. Plantation berries ripen 1-2 weeks earlier than wild ones. Cranberries can easily be stored until spring.

Cranberry heals and feeds, protects and strengthens, helps with diseases and prevents them from appearing. Cranberry juice has antipyretic, bactericidal, thirst-quenching properties, cleanses wounds and burns and accelerates their healing, and treats coughs. The proanthocyanidins contained in cranberries prevent the development of gum disease and caries. Cranberry juice lowers cholesterol, reduces the risk of genitourinary infections and increases the effectiveness of antibiotics when taken together. Heart and oncological diseases, treatment of gastritis, stimulation of the pancreas, increased physical and brain activity - that's all beneficial properties cranberries

Attention! Cranberries should not be eaten by people suffering from stomach and duodenal ulcers, gastritis with high acidity.

Cranberries contain complete collection useful substances, characteristic of all berries. Cranberries are rich in sugars, organic acids, pectins and vitamins. The berries contain citric, benzoic, ursolic, quinic, chlorogenic, malic, oleanderic, succinic and oxalic acids, and a fairly large amount of pectin (relative to other berries). The vitamin part of cranberries is represented by B vitamins (B1, B2, B5, B6), PP, K1 (phylloquinone) and a high content of vitamin C, the amount of which in cranberries is comparable to lemons, oranges, grapefruits and garden strawberries. Cranberries are rich in anthocyanins, phenolic acids, leukoanthocyanins, catechins, betaine, macro and microelements. Cranberries contain a lot of potassium, slightly less phosphorus and calcium. Enough iron, manganese, copper and molybdenum. In addition, it contains manganese, boron, cobalt, tin, iodine, nickel, silver, chromium, titanium, zinc and other trace elements.

In ancient times, cranberries grew only in swamps, and collecting them was difficult. But starting from the first half of the 19th century, breeders developed large-fruited varieties that could be grown “in captivity,” which made it possible to grow cranberries on plantations, and to use machine rather than manual labor in picking the berries. In Canada, Poland, the USA and Belarus, cranberries are grown and harvested industrially. Jelly, fruit drinks and juices are made from it. The berries are used in confectionery production. In Russia, wild cranberries are traditionally harvested. The berries are picked manually; this is a rather labor-intensive process, because the berries grow in swampy areas that are difficult to reach. It is believed that wild berries have a large supply of vitamins and microelements; such berries are much healthier, despite their smaller size.

The quinic acid contained in cranberries, coupled with a high percentage of vitamin C, has given cranberries the nickname “northern lemon.” Quinic acid gives some bitterness in taste, but the more bitter the berry, the healthier it is. By the way, unripe cranberries contain an order of magnitude more vitamins, but unripe berries are very difficult to pick. Harvesting ripened cranberries usually begins in the first or second half of September and continues throughout the autumn months. Sometimes the berries survive the winter and become sweet and soft by spring. Overwintered cranberries have fewer vitamins, but are considered a kind of delicacy.

Thanks to the benzoic acid (a natural preservative) contained in the berries, cranberries tolerate storage well. IN freezer with the possibility of quick freezing, it will preserve most of the vitamins so necessary in winter and spring. The collected berries can be washed, dried, placed in small bags or plastic containers and frozen. Small and medium-sized containers will allow the refrigerator to cope with the task faster, which means they will better preserve the vitamin potential of the berries. It is better to use containers of 300-500 ml, bags - up to 1 liter; when loading into the freezer, give the bags of berries a flat, “pancake” shape, try to remove air from them. After thawing a portion of cranberries, try to eat them the same day. Thawed cranberries quickly lose all the retained supply of nutrients.

In addition to freezing, fresh berries can be soaked. This old recipe preservation of cranberries is still relevant today. Pour fresh and washed berries into a wooden tub, fill it with clean spring water and place a wooden round with holes on top, and pressure on the round. Store the tub in a cool, dark place. The water should remain clear and the cranberries fresh throughout the year. Another way to soak berries: take 20 glasses of cranberries and one glass of honey per ten liters of spring water, add cinnamon and cloves if desired. In about a month, the pickled cranberries will be ready.

Cranberries make excellent jelly, jam, jam or marmalade. Like any berry, cranberries are suitable for making juices, fruit drinks, kvass, tinctures and sauces, or for decorating dishes - both confectionery and gastronomic. In America, dried cranberries are very popular, aptly named Craisins. This is not a hybrid of cranberries and raisins, but a fusion of the words cranberry (cranberry) and raisins (raisins). It is eaten instead of chips, added to vitamin-rich salads and baked goods. Crazyns are exported to many countries.

Cranberry Recipes

Cranberry juice

The easiest way to make something tasty on the day of cranberry picking is to prepare fruit juice. To do this, crush a glass of berries wooden spoon(metallic acid oxidizes), squeeze out the juice and pour into a separate glass. Pour the cake with one liter of water, bring to a boil, combine with juice, add a tablespoon of honey and cool. Strain and pour into glasses. Cranberry juice is a wonderful refreshing drink. It helps well with sore throats, colds, bronchitis, reduces fever and restores vigor.

Equally well suited for both meat and vegetable dishes and rice or pasta.

Ingredients:
450 g cranberries,
115 g sugar,
1 tangerine,
1 lemon,
1 lime,
2 tbsp. water.

Preparation:
Peel the citrus zest and cut into thin strips. Cut the pulp. Dissolve sugar and water in a saucepan, let it boil and simmer for a couple of minutes until dissolved. Add zest and pulp. Boil in the same mode for another minute. Add cranberries and boil the mixture for 5-7 minutes. Serve chilled.

Ingredients:
1 kg cranberries,
1.5 kg sugar,
1.5 tbsp. water.

Preparation:
Boil the berries until softened, then crush and rub through a sieve. Prepare sugar syrup. Pour syrup over the berry mixture and boil.

Alexey Borodin

Swamp cranberry is a healthy berry that is used to treat many diseases. However, for her to reveal all her medicinal properties, you need to know where to collect it, when and how to do it correctly.

What does a cranberry look like?

Wild cranberry is represented by four species. This is a perennial evergreen shrub family Lingonberry. The plant is low-growing, spreading, thread-like shoots. The young bush has thin branches covered with hairs; they spread along the ground in a dense carpet. The root system is taproot. A mushroom lives on thin lateral processes that delivers nutrients bush.

The leaves of the bush are small, no more than 1.5 cm, ovate, their edges are curved downwards. Leaf plate dark green, glossy, its underside is white. The underside of the leaf is covered with wax, which protects it from flooding with water.

The flowers are small, drooping, purple or white. The petals are pointed, bent back, they have 8 stamens and 1 pistil. The lifespan of one flower is about 18 days.

Cranberry berries are round, have a characteristic dark red color, have a sour taste, and are rich in vitamin C. They resemble small eggs in appearance, the size of the fruit is 1 cm in diameter. The skin of the ripe berry is shiny and soft.

Important! Creeping shoots of the plant are easily rooted by adventitious roots.

Swamp cranberry is easily propagated by seeds. Birds eat the berries and carry the seeds over long distances. That is why cranberry thickets can be found in the most impassable corners of the forest.

Ordinary

In nature, cranberries are found in the northern and temperate parts of Eurasia. This is an evergreen subshrub, the shoots are woody, creeping, up to 80 cm long. The bark is brown. The leaves are bluish-green, oval, small.

The bush blooms at the end of May or the very beginning of June. Flowers drooping, pink. The berry is round, bright red, average size. Ripens in the first ten days of September.

Small-fruited

In the forests of Eurasia you can find early cranberries. This is an evergreen shrub with short creeping shoots. The leaves and berries of this species are much smaller than those of the common cranberry. Collection can begin from the end of summer, approximately from the beginning of August.

In many areas the plant is listed in the Red Book:

Lipetsk;
Ryazan;
Voronezh

Picking berries from this bush is prohibited by law.

Large-fruited

This subshrub can be found mainly in Canada or the USA. It has small oval leaves that change color. In autumn they turn red, almost purple, and in spring they turn green again. The cranberry harvesting season begins in the second ten days of September, by which time the berries are fully ripened and filled with juice.

The large-fruited variety of cranberries is grown mainly in industrial scale for selling berries.

Important! Many garden hybrids have been bred based on this species. Today they are bred in nurseries.

Vaccinium clasnoplodens

This is a wild variety of cranberry that is found in the mountainous regions of the United States, Virginia, North Carolina, and East Asia. People call this berry the southern cranberry. The shrub is spreading, shoots grow up to 50 cm, prefers shady places, unlike the common cranberry. The berry is dark red, tasty and aromatic.

How cranberries bloom in a swamp

Flowering times vary in different regions. In the south of the country the shrub blooms in the second half of May. IN northern regions The dates are moved until the beginning of June.

Flowering begins at the ends of last year's shoots. The flowers are small, drooping, regular in shape, located on long stalks, collected in brushes of 4 pieces. Petals are pale pink. The period lasts up to three weeks.

The ovary is formed from the bottom of the flower, has 4 chambers, each containing many grains. At the beginning of development, the fruits are white, gradually acquire a characteristic color, and fill with juice.

The photo shows what a blooming cranberry looks like in a swamp.

How cranberries grow in a swamp

In a swamp, cranberries can be found in the brightest but wettest places. Shoots of bushes spread, intertwine and form unique clearings. The length of one cranberry place can be more than 1 km.

The plant prefers peat and sphagnum bogs, is not demanding on soil, but the presence clean water necessary for him. It has been noticed that the bush grows well where the soil is acidic. It obtains its food from its roots, entering into symbiosis with mushrooms.

Important! Cranberry does not grow near cities, but prefers untouched corners of the forest. Often found in taiga swamps.

Where do cranberries grow in Russia?

Cranberry forests in Russia are found in Siberia, Sakhalin and Kamchatka. The shrub grows in swampy lowlands, on old peat bogs where the soil is fertile, and in wet coniferous thickets. Most often these are small-fruited and ordinary cranberries, which are common in the forest-tundra zone ( northern border Arctic Circle). IN southern regions the berry is found only in swamps that are limited by the 62nd parallel.

Picking berries is not easy, and sometimes life-threatening, because under the thickets there may well be a quagmire.

Many people have thought about planting cranberries in their dachas so that in the fall they don’t have to go far to the swamps. However, growing forest shrubs in the garden is difficult, and it is difficult to recreate suitable conditions. In nature, the plant grows on sphagnum peat, the thickness of which is at least half a meter. The fertile soil layer consists of sand, leaf humus and decomposed pine litter. In addition, wild seedlings do not take root in middle lane Russia, and cultivated plants from the nursery are not resistant to diseases, pests and do not tolerate harsh climates.

However, work is underway to develop new varieties of cranberries. After all, from year to year ecological situation is getting worse, the swamps are drying up. The new varieties are based on the North American large-fruited cranberry shrub, but it does not take root well in the Russian climate. In the spring, the ends of the shoots freeze due to returning frosts, the flower buds are preserved, but the flowering is weak. Productivity is unstable.

When the cranberries are ripe

Fruiting of swamp cranberries begins in the first half of September and ends in November. The berries are not afraid of frost, so there is no need to worry that they will fall off. Full ripening of cranberries occurs only after the first frost. This is the berry that is most valued.

When are cranberries harvested?

The best time for cranberry picking is the first half of autumn, i.e. the beginning of September. At this time, the berry is not yet fully ripe; it is firm, but already red. Such fruits are well stored at home, ripen and acquire a characteristic taste.

Important! For transportation over long distances, the berries are harvested in September, while they are elastic.

Not many people know that the healthiest berries are harvested in November, after the first frost. By this time, it had fully ripened in natural conditions and was filled with juice. Such cranberries contain more nutrients and vitamin C. Although their taste becomes more sour. The November harvest does not last long. As a rule, it is immediately recycled. Autumn cranberries are suitable for production homemade wine, medicinal mixtures and various preparations.

The third time cranberries can be collected early spring when the snow had just melted. These are last year's berries that have successfully overwintered on the shoots. They are no longer rich in vitamins, but become sweet. Unfortunately, such fruits cannot be stored.

How to pick cranberries

Finding cranberries, let alone harvesting a good harvest, is not easy, because they are hidden under the leaves. It is difficult to pick the berries by hand; you have to squat for a long time, since the shoots spread like a carpet, the length of which can be long. Experienced pickers recommend listening to advice to make picking small berries easier.

You need to go for cranberries early in the morning or in the evening in dry weather, so the berries will last longer.
Be sure to test the soil in front of you with a long stick so as not to fall into a quagmire.
They return to the same cranberry place every other day so that the berries do not become overripe.
While the berries are being picked, the baskets are put in a cool place, otherwise not only their appearance, but also their nutrients are lost.

Exists popular belief that they collect cranberries on the waxing moon to preserve the aroma of the berry. But for long-term storage, cleaning is carried out on the waning moon. Collectors do not use any mechanical devices, otherwise the root system and shoots can be damaged. This will make the harvest next year lower. IN protected areas mechanical picking of berries is prohibited at the legislative level, since the plant is classified as an endangered species.

In industrial areas, berry picking occurs differently. The shrub is grown in special pits; when the fruits ripen, they are filled with water. Special installations create a wave, the berries come off the stalks, and I catch them with a large sieve.

You can watch the video to see how cranberries are collected.

How to store cranberries

Berries that are fully ripened in natural conditions and were collected in November can be stored fresh until the next harvest. To do this, they are placed in glass jars and filled with clean boiled water. The containers are stored in the cellar, where the temperature does not rise above +3 °C.

Important! Unripe berries cannot be stored in this way.

Summer cranberries, which were collected in early September, are stored fresh until frost until they ripen. Subsequently, the ripe berries are frozen. The taste and medicinal qualities are not lost from this.

You can also dry cranberries or grind them with sugar. In this form it is well stored, but it contains less vitamins.

Conclusion

Swamp cranberry is a famous berry that is hidden from prying eyes in taiga forests. It is collected several times a season, but the most useful is after the first frost. It is this harvest that is stored until next autumn. When picking berries, you need to act correctly so as not to endanger your life and bushes.

In the article we talk about cranberries, talk about their medicinal properties and use in folk medicine. You will learn how cranberries grow in nature with photos, and where you can pick the berries in Russia, how to harvest them, make fruit drinks, infusions and tinctures.

Cranberry (lat. Oxycoccus) is a group of flowering plants of the Ericaceae family, uniting evergreen creeping shrubs that grow in swamps in the Northern Hemisphere. Berries of all types of cranberries are edible, they are used in cooking, food industry and traditional medicine. Appearance(photo) cranberries

What does it look like

All types of cranberries are creeping evergreen shrubs, have thread-like stems that root into the ground, ranging from 15 to 30 cm in length.

Cranberries have a taproot system. A fungus lives on the roots; its threads are tightly connected to the root cells and form mycorrhiza. The fungal threads receive nutrient solutions from the soil and transfer them to the roots.

Cranberry leaves are alternate, from 3 to 15 mm long, from 1 to 6 mm wide. The leaf shape is ovate or oblong with a short petiole. The leaves are dark green above and ash-white below and remain for the winter. The lower surface of the leaf is covered with wax; it prevents the stomata from flooding with water, thus the wax protects the plant from disturbances in its normal functions.

Cranberry flowers are pink or light purple, regular, with stigmas facing down. The flowers are located on a peduncle, which can reach 5 cm in length. The flowers have 4 calyx lobes. The corolla is deeply four-parted; sometimes flowers with five petals are found. The petals are bent back. Each flower has 8 stamens and 1 pistil. In the European part of Russia, cranberries bloom in May - June.

The fruit is a spherical, ellipsoidal or ovoid red berry. The size of the berry grown in the swamp reaches 16 mm.

Sometimes cranberries are confused with lingonberries, but these are different berries. Which berry is healthier - read in.

Where does it grow?

Where and how do cranberries grow? These plants prefer damp places: transitional and raised bogs, sphagnum coniferous forests, marshy lake shores. Cranberries are light-loving and not demanding on the mineral composition of the soil. Mainly grows in the north.

Where do cranberries grow in Russia? The berry can be found in the central and northern regions of the country, in Karelia, Siberia, and Kamchatka. In addition, you can grow garden cranberries in your garden or summer cottage.

How cranberries grow in a swamp - photo:
This is how cranberries grow in nature

cranberries

Cranberries are used in cooking and folk medicine. Next we will talk about chemical composition and beneficial properties of berries.

Chemical composition

The composition of cranberries includes the following substances:

glucose;
fructose;
organic acids;
pectin substances;
vitamins A, C, group B;
citric acid;
benzoic acid;
quinic acid;
ursolic acid;
chlorogenic acid;
malic acid;
phylloquinone;
bioflavonoids;
potassium;
iron;
phosphorus;
calcium and other macro- and microelements.

Medicinal properties

Medicinal properties of cranberries:

antiseptic;
antibacterial;
antimicrobial;
antiviral;
antifungal;
antiviral;
antioxidant;
tonic;
pain reliever;
diuretic;
antipyretic;
blood purifying;
wound healing;
restorative.

Cranberries are most often used to treat colds and flu.. It's universal home remedy, which is suitable for both prevention and elimination of symptoms of diseases. Cranberries destroy germs, viruses and bacteria, relieve inflammation and lower body temperature, helping the body fight colds. Read more about cranberries for colds.

Cranberries are good for nervous system and brain. It tones and has a general strengthening effect. Berries contain glucose - main source energy and a substance responsible for the normal course of metabolic processes in the body.

Cranberries are used for work disorders endocrine systems s, for example, at . With this disease, the berry helps to cope with unpleasant and even dangerous consequences- disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, heart, kidneys, blurred vision and other symptoms.

Cranberry normalizes work cardiovascular system. Strengthens the myocardium, reduces cholesterol levels in the blood and promotes the breakdown of atherosclerotic plaques, cleanses the blood and reduces blood pressure, improves the general well-being of the patient. Read more about the effect of cranberries on blood pressure.

The effects of cranberries on genitourinary system. Berries and fruit juice made from them are used for infections of the urinary organs, for example. The acids contained in cranberries, passing through the stomach and bladder, flush out bacteria that provoke inflammation and have a calming effect. For cystitis, cranberry is one of the most effective and safe remedies.

How to collect

Ripe berries are harvested in the fall, before snow falls, and also in early spring, when the snow melts. Spring cranberry practically devoid of vitamin C, although it tastes sweeter.

Ripe, dense berries are stored fresh for several months, in cool, dark and well-ventilated places. Berries are also stored in the freezer of the refrigerator. We talked in more detail about storing cranberries at home in.

Read about how to prepare cranberries for the winter here. You may also be interested in jelly recipes,. You can also make it as a winter dessert.

How to use

Cranberries are used to make fruit drinks, infusions, and alcoholic tinctures. Nothing can be healthier than fresh berries. If possible, and there are no contraindications, eat fresh cranberries, at least 1-2 handfuls a day - this excellent prevention diseases and health promotion. To treat diseases, you can drink fruit drinks, infusions and tinctures from cranberries; we have given the recipes below.

Cranberry juice

Cranberry juice can be drunk to prevent colds and other ailments, taken to eliminate the symptoms of ARVI and influenza, cystitis, diseases of the heart and blood vessels and other organs and systems. This is not only a healthy, but also a tasty drink.

Ingredients:

Cranberries - 2 cups.
Water - 2 liters.
Sugar - 4-5 tablespoons.

How to cook: Pour water over the berries and add sugar. Place over medium heat, bring to a boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

How to use: Drink fruit juice throughout the day. Please note that for colds and cystitis, you need to drink as much liquid as possible (in a reasonable amount - 1-2 liters in the absence of contraindications); fruit juice is perfect for these purposes.

Result: Eliminates unpleasant symptoms diseases, improves well-being and strengthens the immune system.

Cranberry infusion

The berry infusion is taken for hypertension, atherosclerosis, gastritis with low acidity, metabolic disorders.

Ingredients:

Cranberries - 10 pcs.
Cranberry leaves - 1 tablespoon.
Boiling water - 200 ml.

How to cook: Place the berries and crushed leaves in a thermos and fill with hot boiled water. Infuse the medicine for 4 hours, strain before use.

How to use: Divide the infusion into 3 parts, drink throughout the day, regardless of food.

Result: Improves digestion, lowers blood pressure, cleanses the blood, lowers cholesterol, normalizes metabolic processes.

Cranberry tincture

It is used to improve appetite, strengthen the immune system, prevent and treat certain diseases. alcohol tincture cranberries

Ingredients:

Fresh cranberries - 600 g.
Vodka - 500 ml.
Sugar - 500 g.

How to cook: Grind the berries and mix them with granulated sugar, fill with vodka. Place the bottle with the tincture in a dark place for 30-40 days. Strain the finished medicine, pour into a clean bottle, and store in the refrigerator.

How to use: The tincture can be drunk as a dessert drink or for medicinal purposes. To treat diseases, consult your doctor before using the tincture.

Result: Improves digestion, increases immunity, helps the body fight diseases.

You can read more about cranberry tincture with vodka here. You may also be interested in recipes

class: Dicotyledons;

order: Ericaceae;

family: Ericaceae;

genus: Vaccinium;

subgenus: Cranberry.

For more information about cranberries, watch the video:

Varieties

The most common types of cranberries:

common cranberry;
red cranberry;
small-fruited cranberries;
large-fruited cranberry.

Cranberry infographics

Photos of cranberries, their beneficial properties and uses
Cranberry infographic

What to remember

You learned how cranberries grow in nature. This useful plant used in cooking and folk medicine.
Cranberries are most often taken for prevention and treatment colds and cystitis. It is also useful for the nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine systems, and gastrointestinal tract.
Before use medicines based on cranberries, read the contraindications and consult your doctor.

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Swamp cranberry is a real storehouse of vitamins, this statement is not disputed by anyone anywhere, so the berry is collected wherever it grows. It is harvested in the fall until the snow covers it with a soft fluffy blanket, and also in the spring, after the snow cover has melted.

Cranberries on low stems

The origin of its name, cranberry, comes from the Greek language, translated from which it literally means “sour berry.” Often it is also called “crane”, not only in Slavic - Russian, Belarusian and other - languages, but also translated from German and English. Its resemblance to a crane is given by the arrangement of the berries on long branches, like the thin necks of a bird.

Biology

Let's start the story about the berry with it biological characteristics, morphology and descriptions of the places of its distribution.

Scientific classification

Cranberry is a subgenus of the genus Vaccinium of the heather family and includes four species:

vaccinium red;
small-fruited cranberries;
common cranberry;
large-fruited cranberry.

Morphology

All of the listed types of cranberries are nothing more than a low, creeping shrub with shoots up to 30 centimeters in length, which, when in contact with the soil, are capable of taking root in it. The tap root system of cranberries forms mycorrhiza with one type of fungus, which is capable of extracting nutrients from swampy soil, which the shrub successfully uses.

Attention! Thanks to this mycorrhiza, cranberry is not demanding on the soil; it receives nutrition from the thinnest threads of a friendly fungus.

Cranberry leaves are located along the branches in the so-called alternate arrangement, they range in size from 3 to 15 millimeters, while the berries often exceed them in size, reaching a diameter of 16 millimeters.

Cranberry flowers are drooping, various shades of red, they grow on a long stalk, up to 50 millimeters in length.

Spreading

Without paying attention to the vaccinium, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with a diagram of where cranberries grow on the globe.

Distribution areas of cranberries

The distribution area of large-fruited cranberries is highlighted in green on the map, small-fruited in orange, and ordinary in red.

Attention! As can be seen in the presented photo, largest range the common cranberry has, but the large one grows only in North America, and small ones - in Eurasia.

Regardless of the continent and type, bog cranberry grows mainly in marshy areas, on peat soils or in coniferous forests with sphagnum moss. The berry also settles along muddy, muddy river banks.

Vegetation

Depending on the growing region, the phenological characteristics of cranberries change.

Our help! Phenology is a body of knowledge about the seasonality of natural phenomena, including the stages of plant development.

Flowering occurs in May at the southern border of the range or in June in the north. The contemplation of cranberries blooming leaves no one indifferent. It seems that it is not the bush that is blooming, but the ordinary tussocks in the swamp that are painted in colors from light pink to dark purple. This riot of colors in the usually nondescript marshy area lasts about three weeks.

In summer, berries appear from the flowers. At first they are small and white in color, but closer to autumn, the moment of ripening, they turn red, sometimes even crimson. When the cranberries ripen, it’s as if someone is painting the swamp again.

Difference from lingonberries

Often uninitiated people confuse our today's heroine with another representative of the heathers - lingonberries. And in fact, at first glance it is quite difficult to distinguish them, but, however, if you look closely, you can easily identify one or another berry.

The first sign of the difference between cranberries and lingonberries is the place of growth. As a rule, lingonberry chooses drier and higher areas compared to its cousin.

By the way! Bearberry is also similar to cranberries and lingonberries, the berries of which have a special nutritional value do not have, and the leaves are used only in medicinal purposes in the form of teas, in particular as a diuretic.

The second difference between the two berries is the ratio of the size of the fruit and leaves. In lingonberries they are approximately equal in size, while in cranberries the berries predominate. In addition, lingonberry leaves are more rounded in shape.

The third feature is size, and this applies to both the plant as a whole and the size of the berries. Lingonberry is much lower than its sister, the growth of its bushes does not exceed 15-20 centimeters, and the size of the berries is only 8 millimeters.
The following differences can be seen during the flowering period of the berries. Unlike cranberry flowers on long stalks, the latter of lingonberries are short.

Our help! These berries are similar not only in their nutrition from fungi, but also in their method of reproduction and distribution. There is such a phenomenon as ornitochory - the dispersal of seeds by birds.

Harvesting cranberries

When to Harvest

Cranberries are harvested in the fall before the snow falls and in the spring after it melts. The first option is still preferable. But here nuances arise.

When are cranberries harvested? It all depends on the area where it grows. The signal for picking is the darkening of the berries. Harvesting unripe cranberries affects the quality of the crop, its nutritional and medicinal value.

Experienced harvesters note that it is best to pick cranberries after the berries have been touched by the first frost; under its influence, the berries become sweeter and acquire a unique aroma.

Reference! Collected unripe cranberries tend to ripen, but their nutritional value is lost.

Berries that have overwintered under the snow are collected after the snow melts. In this case, great care must be taken, since frozen berries become too soft and are easily crushed.

Methods for collecting berries

For a long time, improvised means have been used when collecting cranberries. Of course, you can assemble it simply with your hands, but it is very long and tedious, and it is worth considering that you have to work bent over or squatting. Therefore, experienced pickers use special scrapers or comb-type scoops to speed up the process. Often such devices are made by hand, but in lately they are increasingly appearing on sale under the name “berry harvester”.

On large industrial plantations, cranberries are harvested using large amounts of water. They do this in the following sequence:

The cranberry plantation is located in specially dug pits - checks.
Ripe cranberries in checks are filled with water.
Cranberries are lighter than water, so they float to the surface but don't break away.
They begin to vibrate the water with a special device so that the wave created in this way contributes to the separation of the berries from the stalks.
Then, large sieves are used to collect the berries from the surface.

Storing berries

After the harvest is harvested, the berries are processed or sent for storage. Cranberries are well preserved in special small boxes or in plastic bags with air access.

But it is very difficult to achieve the optimal temperature, so the method of storing cranberries in boiled water is used. In this case, the prepared, washed berries are placed in glass jars or wooden barrels and poured with cold, settled boiling water. Such preparations can be stored in a cool room, up to 10 degrees.

One cannot fail to mention this method of storing cranberries, such as freezing them. But unfrozen in further berries akin to those collected in winter, they easily burst at the slightest pressure and, of course, lose most of the nutrients.

Dried berries are also stored. To do this, do this:

Dip the berries in sugar syrup.
Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet on parchment paper.
Place the baking sheets in the oven and dry them at a low temperature, 70-80 degrees.

In addition, the harvest is stored, sprinkled with sugar, resulting in a kind of “live” jam. For lovers of sweeter delicacies there is always large number recipes for jams, jellies or other “goodies” made from healthy berries. In any case, this healing berry will not be superfluous in any housewife’s pantry. It is not for nothing that cranberries are also called the “northern lemon”, remembering how many people they have saved and are saving from vitamin deficiency and related diseases.