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posted by CoolHand on Monday November 21 2016, @06:47PM   Printer-friendly
from the the-simple-things dept.

Just in time for American Thanksgiving, here is a moderately scientific overview of the journey to greatness of the humble cranberry.

The cranberry — one of only a few commercial fruits native to North America — might have even sat beside a roast turkey at the first Thanksgiving feast.

But how did the tart cranberry become an industrial crop, with 800 million pounds grown annually, when other native fruits are so much sweeter? It wasn't just the health benefits, clever marketing, or Grandma's cranberry chutney — it was a happenstance of evolution. Cranberries float.

And they are delicious in milk. Bon appétit!


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 22 2016, @05:14AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 22 2016, @05:14AM (#431073)

    Ethanol is a wuss. Shooting 2oz of cranberry is much softer than doing a shot of vodka, both on the way down and in the gut. If you have an ulcer you probably shouldn't do either of course.

    Most people who drink the real stuff either
    -water it down anywhere from 1:2 to 2:1 with good water (it's sour and bitter and delicious)
    -wash and press the berries themselves, and do it to taste during (rinsing the pulp through the strainer etc adds water)
    -have it with food
    or
    -have small amounts, and generally rinse teeth afterwards

    The very rare real lover will eat them by the handful (hi) but I only buy organic and pretty good berries. You'll learn to spot 95% of the bad ones pretty fast doing this, but there's that ghost berry with a natural 20 sneak roll in every few bowlsful, and *those* are bad enough that I spit them out. Fresh they're a bit sour, or very sour if unripe. Most farmers grow for size/weight and have very hard, large berries. Better ones are just a bit softer, and quite noticeably sweeter. None, of course, can be as good as lingonberries, but good luck finding a good source of *those*.

  • (Score: 2) by Geotti on Tuesday November 22 2016, @06:48AM

    by Geotti (1146) on Tuesday November 22 2016, @06:48AM (#431099) Journal

    one, of course, can be as good as lingonberries, but good luck finding a good source of *those*.

    Go to a Russian store and ask for "brusnika."