Cranberry

Vaccinium erythrocarpum, macrocarpon, microcarpum, and oxycoccos

▽/🜂 Water/Fire ♀ Feminine ♂ Mars

Folk Names

Bog cranberry, crane berry, fenberry, ibimi, marshberry, marshwort, sasemineash, small cranberry, swamp cranberry, popokwa

Energetics & Properties

Abundance, communication, courage, energy, love, protection, and rejuvenation

"I don't know what's goin on with cranberries, but they're gettin in all the other juices... Why don't you back off, Cran Man? Why don't you take your sales trophy and have a vacation?" - Brian Regan

What Is It?

Cranberries are a group of shrub plants in the Vaccinium genus. There are over 100 varieties, but Northern European cranberries most often refer to the species Vaccinium oxycoccos and American cranberries Vaccinium macrocarpon. Cranberries grow on creeping, wiry vines and do well in bogs with acidic soil and lots of water. Relatives in the Vaccinium genus include bilberries, blueberries, and huckleberries.

Before ripening into red berries, cranberry plants blossom with dark pink, bell-shaped flowers that have reflexed petals. These resemble a crane's head, which is likely how the plant got its name (See Facts & Fables below).

Cranberries can be eaten straight off the vine, but taste very acidic and bitter. They're most often combined with sweeteners to make juice, jelly, liqueur, sauce, syrup, and sweetened dried cranberries. Cranberry sauce is a dinner staple for Thanksgiving in the US and Canada, as well as Christmas in the UK.

Today's largest cranberry growing organization is Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. headquartered in Plymouth County, MA.

How it Tastes

Cranberries taste sharp, bitter, and sour. They're as tart as lemons, so they are often prepared with sweeter ingredients like apple, apricot, lemon, lime, maple syrup, orange, pear, pumpkin, squash, and sugar.

They make great pastries when combined with dairy products and nuts: Almond, brie, butter, cheddar (mild), chocolate (white and dark) cream cheese, egg, flour, hazelnut, oats, pecan, pine nut, walnut, and yogurt.

Herb pairings include anise, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, lavender, mint, nutmeg, rosemary, sage, and thyme.

Savory food pairings include balsamic vinegar, Brussels sprout, dijon mustard, farro, garlic, kale, mushroom, rice, spinach, sweet potato, and quinoa.

Meats: Beef, chicken, pork, turkey

Alcohol: Bourbon, champagne, gin, red wine, rum, vodka

Medicinal Benefits

- Antibacterial

- Antioxidant (Contain polyphenols)

- Digestive aid

- High in fiber

- May reduce risk of cancer

- Proanthocyanidins (see info below)

- Supports heart health

- Supports liver health

- Supports gallbladder health

- Vitamin C

- Vitamin E

One of the most common medicinal uses associated with cranberries is curing Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins (PACs), flavonoids that help prevent bacteria from adhering to the lining of the bladder and urinary tract.

Drinking cranberry juice may alleviate the symptoms of a UTI, but this isn't enough to treat the infection; It would take a high concentration of unsweetened cranberry ingested daily for weeks to show an effect. Ingesting unsweetened cranberry juice or capsules should not be a replacement for a medical visit or a professional's advice. Instead, it may be beneficial to practice other at-home UTI remedies, like drinking lots of fluids, increasing your vitamin C intake, and healthy hygiene habits. If you experience intense pain, fever, or bleeding, contact your doctor.

*All medicinal benefits are for historical education purposes and entertainment. This website should not replace the advice of a doctor or other health professional. Please be responsible and consult a specialist before using a plant for healing purposes.*

Facts & Fables

We may have the Pilgrims to thank for the fruit's name: German and Dutch colonists supposedly called cranberries kraanbere (meaning 'crane berry') because the shape of the flower resembles a crane's head. Back in Europe, other variants of the fruit were called marshwort, marshberry, and fenberry because the plant grows in marshlands, or fens.

Native Americans have been using the berry for centuries as both medicine and clothing dye. The Algonquian Narragansett people called the berries sasemineash, and the Wampanoag and Lenni-Lenape called it ibimi. The Lenni Lanape chief, Pakimintzen (meaning "Cranberry Eater") held cranberry holidays in Delaware and New Jersey.

Modern-day Cranberry Festivals are still held in New England during autumn, especially around Thanksgiving.

Magic practitioners use cranberries in charm bags, spell jars, and rituals, especially Samhain and Yule. They are associated with the fire element due to their color, but also water because of the bogs they are scooped up from to harvest. Cranberries can be substitute wine or blood in rituals. Stringing cranberries in a garland is said to bring protection and abundance.

⚠ Cautions ⚠

Refer to the Medicinal Uses section for information on UTI symptom prevention.

Ingest everything in moderation; Drinking too much cranberry juice may cause stomach discomfort and diarrhea. Many cranberry products are sweetened, so avoid excess sugar intake and stick to artificial sweeteners if you have diabetes.

Cranberries contain large amounts of oxalate and salicylic acid, which should be avoided if you have a history of kidney stones or have an allergy to Aspirin, respectively. Always consult a medical professional about what foods are safe for you to ingest with your medical conditions.

Cocktails

• Cape Cod / Vodka Cranberry

• Cosmopolitan

• Juniper Breeze

• Purple Haze

• Red Lotus

• Redhead

• Sea Breeze

• Sex on the Beach

• Washington Apple

• Woo Woo