Fruit
Vaccinium macrocarpon
S tier
Vaccinium macrocarpon is the large American cranberry—firm, glossy scarlet berries that bounce when sound, with piercing tartness and thick skins that pop in the pot. Native to northeastern North American wetlands, it is now a flooded-bed agricultural icon. Natural pectin and acid make sauce and jelly almost self-setting. Cook with sugar for sauce; dry and sweeten for trail mix; juice for blends. Raw snacking is rare without sweetening. Floating wet harvest is theatrical but dry harvest suits fresh market. Freeze excellent. Balance sugar—underdone sauce is harsh, overdone loses fruit edge.
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Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Indigenous nations of northeastern North America used wild V. macrocarpon.
Cultivation on Cape Cod-area bogs began commercial American cranberry farming.
Canned sauce and holiday branding nationalised cranberry demand.
Global juice and dried sweetened cranberries expanded year-round use.