11/16/01

BOZEMAN--The cranberries for your next holiday celebration might be growing right outside your window, says Bob Gough, Montana State University Extension horticulture specialist. While the traditional American cranberry would be hard to cultivate in Montana's soils and dry conditions, two species of highbush cranberry (in Latin, Viburnum) can be found both in the wild and in ornamental landscapes. The wild berries may be a little harder to find, but it is quite common to find highbush cranberry in hedges and other plantings.

One species, Viburnum trilobum, is found throughout North America and grows in the wild in some parts of Montana. The other, Viburnum opulus--native to North Africa, Europe and northern Asia--was introduced into this country during colonial times. According to Gough, Maine lumberjacks ate these sour berries sweetened with maple syrup, and people in Norway and Sweden used honey to mellow the berry's tartness.

Don't be surprised if you find a highbush cranberry growing in your back yard, or along your favorite hiking trail. In the wild they are usually found near water. Both species have adapted to the wild. V. trilobum is preferred for eating (the fruit of V. opulus is really sour) but they're both edible.

You can pick highbush cranberry and make a sauce out of it just as you would the traditional American cranberry. The berries are best when picked before they are frozen, either just before or immediately after the first frost.

But "make darn sure that you've identified the bush correctly," says Gough.

If there is any question as to the plant's true identity, Gough recommends bringing a sample of the shrub to your local MSU Extension agent, who can either identify it or send it on to MSU plant specialists for identification.

Highbush cranberries are actually no relation at all to the cranberries that begin to appear on grocery store shelves when Thanksgiving rolls around. The cranberries that cooks crush to make relish and kids string for holiday garlands are actually more closely related to our huckleberries.

According to "Food and Feed Crops of the United States," the US produces 200,000 tons of American cranberries annually, mostly in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington. One of the nation's oldest continuously producing bogs, in Rhode Island, has been operating since the 1750s.

If you decide to hunt Montana's cranberry in its natural habitat, recipes can be found on the Internet to make highbush cranberries into wine, jelly, and of course, relish. Gough said that he has tried cranberry sauce made from the fruit of V. trilobum, and it rivaled the traditional bog-grown variety for flavor: "Try it! You'll like it."

Spiced Cranberry Sauce
From the Alaska Department of Fish and Game home page

12 C. fresh highbush cranberries
3 C. onions, chopped fine
1 C. water
2 C. vinegar
4 C. sugar
1 T. ground cloves
1 T. cinnamon
1 T. allspice
1 T. celery salt
1 T. salt
1 T. pepper

Cook the cranberries in the water until soft, then put through a food mill or sieve. Add onions, vinegar, sugar, spices, celery salt, salt and pepper and boil until the mixture thickens. Makes about 3 pints. Serve this cranberry sauce with poultry, meat, or on baked beans. Other berries may be substituted, but it is one of the very best ways to use highbush cranberries when they are abundant and in season. Use as sauce or ketchup.

Photo: MSU Extension Horticulture Specialist Bob Gough finds a specimen of highbush cranberry near the library on the MSU-Bozeman campus. This specimen has frozen several times and won't be good to eat.

Send questions or comments to Marla Goodman and Bob Gough, MSU Communications Services, Bozeman, MT 59717 or email them at mgoodman@montana.edu.

You are the 9490th person to access this page.