The Cranberry Institute: where cranberries go to learn

Actually, the Cranberry Institute is a non-profit organization formed in 1951 to bring together cranberry growers and cranberry fans. The Institute promotes research on related health, agricultural, and environmental issues, and promotes continuous cranberry education. Based in East Wareham, Massachusetts, the Cranberry Institute takes its funding from volunteer members involved with the cranberry trade.The Institute’s website is a treasure trove of information on every aspect of cranberries you can imagine. Cranberries were first used as food and medicine by early Native Americans, and the first commercial bed was planted in 1816 in Dennis, Massachusetts. It can be harvested either “wet” or “dry.” In the “wet” process, the cranberry beds are flooded and the fruit is beaten off the wine with a special harvester. In the “dry” process, the fruit is removed with a mechanical picking machine. Read More »