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The cranberry got its name from Dutch and German settlers who nicknamed it the "crane berry" after the blossoms, which twist back to look like the head and bill of a crane. Over time, the name was shortened to "cranberry".
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The cranberry is one of only a handful of major fruits native to North America. Other fruits include the blueberry and Concord grape.
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It was Native Americans who first took advantage of cranberries. They mixed deer meat and mashed cranberries to make pemmicana-survival food. They also believed in the medicinal value of cranberries--long before science discovered cranberry's health benefits! Medicine men would use cranberries in poultices to draw poison from arrow wounds. They also used the rich red juice of the cranberry as a natural dye for rugs, blankets and clothing.
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In the 1880s, a New Jersey grower named John "Peg Leg" Webb discovered the "cranberry bounce". Instead of carrying his cranberries down from his barn storage loft, he poured them down the steps. Only the freshest, firmest fruit reached the bottom; rotten or bruised berries remained on the steps. This discovery led to the invention of "bounceboards", which helped growers separate the rotten berries, which didn't bounce, from the fresh ones.
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Legend has it that Pilgrims served cranberries at the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, MA, along with wild turkey and succotash.
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On average, every acre of cranberry bog is supported by four to 10 acres of wetlands, woodlands and uplands. This area offers refuge to a rich variety of wildlife including the bald eagle, osprey, great blue heron, fox, deer and wild turkey.
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Seven out of 10 cranberries sold in the world today come from Ocean Spray.
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Ocean Spray is a Cooperative founded more than 75 years ago and owned by more than 650 cranberry growers and 100 grapefruit growers in North America. Some of these cranberries are grown right here in Canada by more than 100 growers located in parts of British Columbia, Quebec, and New Brunswick. We know how to grow, nurture and get the very best out of them. That means when you buy our products, you're buying Ocean Spray® taste, quality, goodness and healthy refreshment you won't find anywhere else.
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