How to: Redefine a beloved, established fruit

Exactly 50 years after its launch as a consumer brand, Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. created the Ocean Spray Ingredients division in 1980 to serve the food and beverage industry. At the time, half of the division’s focus was on cranberry juice concentrate and the other half on sweetened dried cranberries, according to Ocean Spray Ingredients Innovation and Marketing Manager Adena Barber. But over the last four decades, times and tastes have changed dramatically.

“Our business has evolved to about 95% of our focus on sweetened dried cranberries, as consumers have learned how to utilize cranberries in their favorite recipes — from breakfast, lunch, dinner and any snack in between,” Barber explained.

And now, this dominant focus is once again evolving.

Think beyond fruit

The fleshy fruit of the cranberry may be the most recognizable part of the berry, but there’s another nutritional powerhouse lurking inside: the cranberry seed. These tiny red globes bring a lot of unique nutritional benefits. Since Ocean Spray launched them as a standalone product in 2020, they have already succeeded in adding a few new lines to the cranberry’s nutritional resume.

First and foremost: fiber. Two tablespoons of cranberry seeds contain 9 grams of fiber, which is more than chia or flax seeds provide. Cranberry seeds are also surprisingly protein rich, with 4 grams in just 2 tablespoons. That’s comparable to processed pea and rice protein powders, but with far more fiber than either. In recent years, this has helped cranberry seeds gain traction as an inclusion in plant-based protein blends.

As a textural enhancer, the bright red seeds have also taken hold as a way to add crunch and nutritional heft to baked goods, cereals, desserts and confections. And yes, cranberries seeds also contain proanthocyanidins, the bright red antioxidant “flavonoids” that prevent bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall and which can help prevent urinary tract infections.

Something this good is simply too valuable to throw away after cranberries are juiced. And that’s yet another part of the appeal of seeds, per Ocean Spray Ingredients Senior Research Chef Charles Morrill. “It’s an exclusive product of Ocean Spray Ingredients — the only red seed on the market and it’s an upcycled ingredient,” he said.

Think beyond humans

Why put cranberries in pet food? For the same functional reasons you might add them to human food: urinary tract health. Bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common infectious disease among dogs, affecting 14% of dogs at some point in their life, according to the American Kennel Club. They’re less common among cats, but the risks grow as pets age. If left untreated, UTIs in pets can be fatal.

To help treat existing UTIs, an increasing number of brands have begun releasing urinary care-focused foods, treats and bladder support “bites” containing cranberries. Others include cranberries in their normal pet foods to block UTI-causing bacteria before it’s a problem.

“Pet food is a huge market for cranberries,” Morrill explained. “When you look in pet stores, you see cranberries in a variety of dog and cat foods, both wet and dry.” 

Think beyond sweet

Ask someone off the street what cranberries taste like and “tart” will be the dominant response. When it comes to the berry’s culinary potential, however, Morrill said tart is just the start.

“Cranberries can hold their own in the savory realm, especially our sweetened dried cranberries and fresh cranberries,” he explained. “A great use for our fresh fruit is pickling cranberries. For all the pickle lovers out there, fresh-sliced pickled cranberries are amazing in your favorite pickling liquid. They also make an excellent relish, as they are naturally sour and provide a bright flavor that is not too overpowering when used as a condiment, and pair well with so many different meats.”

Think beyond the United States

Cranberries are native to North America, but according to Ocean Spray Ingredients, they are utilized in products in more than 100 countries worldwide. With that kind of reach, it’s inevitable that cranberries would find their way into new takes on traditional dishes.

“Our dried cranberries pair well with eastern and southeastern Asian cuisines,” he said. “It brings brief top notes of fresh red berry onto cooked and jammy, sweet and tangy fruit, then more developed flavors of darker dried fruits such as plums and figs. Our drying process of the fruit develops these wonderful levels of flavor and taste that help add another layer of flavor to dishes of those regions.”

Growing up in a Filipino household led Morrill to implement dried cranberries into both rice dishes and canned jellied cranberry into chicken adobo. He’s also seen chefs worldwide similarly think outside of the box to create memorable dishes.

“One product that caught our eye was a limited-edition pizza from Aldi’s in the European market,” he said. “It was a stuffed cheese crust pizza topped with brie, bacon and cranberry sauce. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to try it, but from the photos I saw, it looked amazing.”