Cranberries (Red Sliced)

Cranberry is the name given to a group of long-lived woody perennial shrubs or trailing vines in the genus Vaccinium, including Vaccinium macrocarpon, the most popular commercial species, grown for their edible berries. The cranberry bush possesses a slender, wiry stems with small elliptical waxy evergreen leaves 7–10 mm (0.28–0.45 in) in length. The plant produces distinctive dark pink flowers with reflexed petals that leave the style and stamens exposed. The fruit is produced on the new plant growth produced that season and are initially white and ripen to dark red, waxy berries measuring 9–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) in diameter. The cranberry plant can reach 5–20 cm (2.0–7.9 in) in height, with the vines stretching up to 2 m (6.6 ft) long. The cranberry may also be referred to as bearberry and originates from North America.

Cranberries are usually processed into juice, sauce, jam and sweetened dried cranberries. They may also eaten raw. Cranberries have long been used as a remedy to prevent recurrent urinary tract infections, research has demonstrated the benefit to women, but the effect on other groups is less clear.