Autumn is in full swing in many parts of the world, and that means that cranberries are also entering their busy season. Before they reach a saucepan or fruit drink, they need to pass muster and make the cut, and one traditional form of inspection sounds more like a playground activity than a formal farming technique.
Today’s Trivia Question
What physical ability has been used to help sort firm cranberries from soft ones?
(pick one to reveal the answer)
Bonus if you know what helps cranberries float during a wet harvest.
| A Few More for Fun… |
Images of a sea of bright red berries floating across a bog are one way to envision a harvest or a part of the cranberry-growing story, but there’s a lot more to know…
Before a bog is flooded for the wet harvest, how do cranberries grow?
(pick one to reveal the answer)
What method combs cranberries off the vine without first flooding the bog?
(pick one to reveal the answer)
| A Few More Trivia Questions Before You Go… |
The cranberry’s story goes far beyond a bog, including an old food tradition, a Thanksgiving meal that didn’t go to plan, and a surprising crop in an unexpected spot.
History
Geography
Which U.S. state leads in national cranberry production?
(pick one to reveal the answer)
Movies
In what 2003 film does Katie Holmes play a young woman trying to cook Thanksgiving dinner for her estranged family?
(pick one to reveal the answer)
Answers
| TODAY’S QUESTIONAnswer: D. Bouncing them after dropping them. Only firm cranberries bounce; soft berries just don’t have any spring in their step! Massachusetts Cranberries describes bounce screening as part of its fruit-grading process. Apparently, even when they’re rosy red and blooming with health, some fruit still has to audition for the part! Bonus points if you knew cranberries contain pockets of air inside that help them float during harvesting. | |
| 01 | Answer: A. On low-growing vines. The water in those famous harvest photos is used to help gather the crop, but berries don’t grow in swimming conditions; they grow on low vines. |
| 02 | Answer: C. Dry harvesting. Special dry harvesting machines use combs that take berries from the vines. In Massachusetts, this method is used to supply fresh fruit markets. So, there is more than that one route from bog to market basket! |
| 03 | Answer: C. Pemmican. Pemmican blended meat and fat and sometimes included fruit, such as berries. Not always a required ingredient; berries might be added seasonally when the crops were abundant. |
| 04 | Answer: B. Wisconsin. Wisconsin is the leading producer, even though many think of Massachusetts and its bogs. The Midwest has a substantial claim on the cranberry harvest, and Wisconsin is at the very top. |
| 05 | Answer: A. Pieces of April. In the film, Holmes plays April Burns, and the invitation is an attempt to bring the family back together. Nothing says together like…cranberries? Why not test the quality of a few of your holiday cranberries and see how well they bounce? Maybe it can become a new family tradition. Just don’t try it if your holiday cranberries are out of a can! |
How did you do? Score 1 point for each correct answer and 1 point for the bonus if you knew it. Perfect score: 7.
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