Cranberries

Commodity Overview

While cranberries are available most of the year, they truly shine around the fall and winter holidays, so be sure to promote them heavily when shoppers are looking for them. Offer recipes and preparation tips for cranberries. Remind consumers that they can be used in relishes and baked goods as well as be served as a side dish.

PLUs

4242 regular

Retail Price Data is based on USDA Specialty Crops Market News surveys. Data collection ends on the report date and encompasses ad pricing good from the Saturday before the report release date through the following Friday. Weekly data - from over 400 retailers, comprising more than 30,000 individual stores with online weekly advertised features - covers over 250 produce items. Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

USDA Specialty Crops Market News publishes FOB and Movement data on a daily and weekly basis. Pricing and volume information is aggregated by commodity and published weekly, subject to any source-data adjustments. Commodity data is further processed based on origin (domestic vs imports) and type (regular vs. organic). Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

Facts

Cranberries may be a fountain of youth as they have been shown to counteract some of the chronic conditions associated with aging. They are also high in antioxidants, which help to fight cancer. Cranberries are good for your heart and contain nearly as much vitamin C as citrus fruit.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the following nutrient content descriptors for cranberries: fat free, saturated fat free, sodium free, an excellent source of dietary fiber and an excellent source of vitamin C.

Sales Strategies

Cranberries’ place as a side dish or ingredient make them a perfect cross-merchandising candidate. Cross-merchandise them with turkey, stuffing ingredients and baking items.
Cranberries have a limited sales window, so make the most of the fall and winter seasons to move cranberries off the shelves.
Fall: Promote cranberries as a tangy taste for fall baked goods like muffins and breads.
Winter: Use the winter holidays to increase cranberry sales. Run promotions and include cranberries in holiday displays. Show consumers how to use cranberries as part of their holiday decorations. Offer ideas like creating a garland for the tree or filling a bowl with water and floating the cranberries on top for a festive decoration. Run promotions on cranberries at the same time as stuffing ingredients and turkey. Consider offering a deal for buying all three. Include cranberries in post-New Year’s promotions as they offer plenty of health benefits.

Dynamic Displays

Avoid misting cranberries as wet cranberries end up being cranberries that spoil. Keep cranberries on refrigerated displays.
Cranberries’ bright red color make them an eye-catcher. Make them a centerpiece of holiday displays.
Use cranberries as a color break to create an attractive overall display.
Offer recipes and preparation tips for cranberries. Remind consumers that they can be used in relishes and baked goods as well as be served as a side dish.

Food Service

Add cranberry side dishes during the fall and winter to add a seasonal touch to your menu.
Include cranberries in baked goods, especially during the fall.
Grated cranberries make a tasty topping for salads. They also add a touch of color.
Cranberry relish works well with meat or poultry.
Include cranberry juice on your breakfast menu.

In the Backroom

Shipping
20-lb. cartons, bulk 18-lb. cartons, 24 12-oz. poly bags RPC 6411

Grades
For commonly cultivated varieties U.S. No. 1 Packages stamped U.S. No. 1 are checked by random sampling of 100 berries per lot.

Handling
Temperature: 38 to 40 F, 2.2 to 4.4 C Relative humidity: 90-95% Mist: no Typical shelf life: 2 to 3 weeks Susceptible to chilling injury. Damage sometimes is not apparent until the produce is returned to a higher temperature. Vent to avoid carbon dioxide buildup and to encourage a uniform storage environment. Do not pack on ice. Poorly colored fruit can pick up better coloring if held for a few weeks at 45 to 50 F, 7.2 to 10 C. However, sudden temperature increases can cause water condensation within packages.