Cranberries

Colored a striking red, cranberries are tart, small, round fruits grown mostly in the northern reaches of the United States and Canada, with some production in the northern regions of Europe and Asia.

Cranberries are in season from October to December. An ounce of cranberries weighs 28 grams and contains 13 calories, and a cup of whole cranberries topping off at 100 grams.

Cranberries belong to the Ericaceae family in the genus Vaccinium. Four species are grown widely. Cranberries are related to blueberries and some other fruits in the Vaccinium subgenus.

Cranberries are rich in fiber, manganese and Vitamin C. They contain ample amounts of Vitamins E and K. The fruit contains 87 percent water by weight.

Cranberries are major commercial crops in Wisconsin, which produces half the U.S. production, and British Columbia’s Fraser River Valley region, which grows 95 percent of the Canadian yield.

The Cranberries is the name of an Irish rock group that rose to fame in the mid-1990s on the chart successes of singles “Dreams,” “Linger” and “Zombie.”

Stats for 100 Grams of Cranberries (Raw)

• 46 calories

Notable Nutrients

Percentages based on the Reference Daily Intake for a 2,000-calorie diet

• Fiber: 14.4%
• Vitamin C: 23.3%
• Vitamin E: 6.6%
• Vitamin K: 6.3%
• Manganese: 13.4%

Carbs/Protein/Fat

• Carbohydrates: 94.2%
• Protein: 3.4%
• Fat: 2.4%

Food Type

• Acid fruit

Sources

• http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2191
• http://www.cronometer.com
• http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/cranberries.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranberry