Basically, the cranberry looks like a cranberry that has grown significantly too big, which is why the American berry type is often offered in German supermarkets as a “cultivated cranberry”. However, from a botanical point of view, this statement is wrong, because although cranberries and lingonberries are related to each other, they still have clear differences in appearance and taste.
What are the differences between cranberries and lingonberries?
Cranberries and lingonberries are both heather plants, but differ in their growth habit, flowers, fruits and leaves. Cranberries have larger, darker berries and more ingredients, while cranberries are less sensitive to frost and have smaller fruits with more seeds.
Similarities of Cranberry and Lingonberry
Both species belong to the heather family and within it to the blueberry genus (Latin “Vaccinium”), so they are not only related to each other, but also to the blueberry. Both species prefer acidic soils and develop bright red berries that taste rather sour and tart and are particularly good as jam or fruity sauce for game. However, this is where the similarities end.
The Cranberry
The cranberry is a creeping shrub with very long shoots and roots. The plant particularly prefers very acidic and moist soils in raised bogs. Its pink-white, delicate flowers are reminiscent of a crane's head (hence the name "crane berry"), and the fruits are about the size of sweet cherries. Depending on the variety, ripe fruits can be bright red to almost black in color. The leaves are narrow and egg-shaped, tapering towards the front. The cranberry's natural distribution range is only in North America.
Ingredients of cranberries
Per 100 grams contain fresh cranberries
- around 13 milligrams of vitamin C
- 85 milligrams of potassium
- around 5 milligrams of fiber
- around 12 milligrams of carbohydrates
- 46 calories
- also vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamins of the B group, vitamin E
- as well as iron and other minerals, antioxidants and tannins.
The Cranberry
The European cranberry is an upright-growing dwarf shrub that prefers sandy, only moderately acidic soils. Its white to red flowers open downwards like a bell. The pea-sized fruits are scarlet red when ripe. The leaves are broad and egg-shaped, and also blunt at the tip. In contrast to cranberries, cranberries have little flesh and many seeds. Unlike cranberries, cranberries are resistant to frost. Its ingredients are roughly the same as those of the cranberry, except that the American relative has more of everything to offer.
Tips & Tricks
If you have kidney problems or are even a dialysis patient, it is better not to eat both lingonberries and cranberries. The ingredients stimulate kidney activity and are therefore harmful to people with kidney damage.
