Stuff You Missed in History Class – “Cranberries” (Dec 10, 2025)

Hosts: Holly Frey and Tracy V. Wilson
Episode Theme:
A deep dive into the history of cranberries — from their indigenous roots and botanical particularities to the rise of commercial cranberry farming and the creation of canned cranberry sauce. The episode weaves together botany, indigenous food culture, colonial adaptation, and the industrial evolution of cranberries, all with the hosts’ signature warmth and humor.

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode explores the complicated and fascinating story of cranberries, focusing on their history in North America, their surprising role in early industry and shipping, how they became a holiday staple, and the personalities who propelled cranberries — and especially canned cranberry sauce — to national and international prominence. The hosts trace cranberries from indigenous usage through colonial times, industrialization, and contemporary issues like climate change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Great Cranberry Debate & Personal Connections

• Opening Banter:
  • Holly jokes about the “arguments” over cranberry sauce types at holiday dinners, revealing her general distaste for food-related arguments but sharing love for a “Cranberry Queen” friend.
    • “A lot of the talk that pops up around the holidays is about what kind of cranberry sauce people have at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners…” (03:02)
• Geographical Note:
  • The episode is largely North America focused since the cranberries commonly eaten are native there.
    • “This is a largely North American episode. Heads up. Because cranberries are native to North America, the cranberries we eat…” (02:53)

2. Cranberry Botany and Farming

• Where Cranberries Grow:
  • 98% of cranberries are now produced in the US and Canada, with Wisconsin leading the U.S.
    • “Today, an estimated 98% of all the cranberries are grown in the US and Canada…” (03:34)
    • “Wisconsin produces more than half of the cranberries grown in the US, which… surprised me a bit.” (03:48)
• How Cranberries Grow:
  • Cranberries grow on long-living perennial vines, not underwater, as is commonly misunderstood.
    • “Cranberries… actually grow on vines. Those vines can grow as long as six feet…” (04:45)
    • “Cranberries do not grow in the water. They just do not. So, if you thought that, it’s because you see the bogs filled with water…” (05:11)

3. Harvest Methods & Misconceptions

• Wet (Bog-flooding) vs Dry Harvesting:
  • Wet-harvesting is the most popular — faster and less labor-intensive, but mixes ripeness levels.
    • “The wet method is faster and it costs less. It requires about a quarter the number of people…” (07:22)
  • Dry-harvesting is slower but allows for selection at peak ripeness.

4. Pre-colonial and Indigenous Uses

• Indigenous History:
  • Cranberries have been used for at least 12,000 years by peoples such as the Wampanoag (who called them sesamunjas) for food, pemmican, and dye.
    • “Cranberry use goes back thousands of years, at least 12,000… The Wampanoag people reportedly started picking them that far back…” (08:16)
• Other Indigenous Names:
  • Other tribes called them by other names, e.g., “abimi” by the Peacock.

5. Early European Encounters & Etymology

• Early Records & Name Origin:
  • European colonists were familiar with European cranberry varieties but adapted to the North American usage.
  • The name “cranberry” may derive from resemblance to a crane's head.
    • “It’s often reported that Europeans referred to the berry as a cranberry because the flowers of the plant have a similar profile to a sandhill crane…” (09:41)
• Early Description:
  • An early account from 1672 describes cranberries and notes indigenous people boiling them with sugar for sauce.
    • Memorable Quote / Primary Source:
      • “Use them much, boiling them with sugar for sauce to eat with their meat, and it is a delicate sauce, especially for roasted mutton. Some make tarts with them, as with gooseberries.” (11:20)

6. European Naturalists, Cultivation, and Cookbooks

• Joseph Banks (Naturalist):

  • Noted cranberries during his voyages, leading to attempts to cultivate in Britain — not for sale, but botanical curiosity.
    • “He writes…‘here are also great plenty of cranberries, both white and red…’” (15:57)

• How Cultivation Works:

  • Cranberries are best propagated via vine cuttings, not seeds (cross-pollination and bee dependency).

• English & US Cookbooks:

  • 18th c. housekeepers learned to put up cranberries for garnish and tarts.
    • “Cranberries are mentioned in other cookbooks of the era also for that purpose. North American cookbooks also included cranberry recipes in the late 18th century, mostly for cranberry tarts.” (19:32)

7. The Rise of US Cranberry Industry

• Henry Hall’s Accidental Discovery:
  • Blown sand reinvigorated his natural bogs in Cape Cod, leading to more vigorous and pest-resistant growth, and the first intentional cranberry cultivation (1812).
    • “Without the natural windbreak of those trees over the winter, sand from the shore got blown all over his cranberry bog…” (19:33)
• Maritime Ties:
  • Cranberries seen as a scurvy-preventative for sailors; shipping cranberries to Europe began.
    • “So as sailors retired from their maritime work, some of them went into the cranberry business to sell berries to the next generation of sailors.” (21:32)
• Holiday Decoration:
  • Cranberries (notably the shiny red ones) started featuring more as Christmas tree garlands by mid-1800s.

8. Industrialization & Inventions

• Cranberry Scoops:

  • Patented devices—“box-like structures…with tines”—for more efficient dry harvesting (mid-19th c.).
  • William T. Makepeace notably held many patents.
    • “Cranberry scoops…were invented starting in the mid 19th century.” (23:09)

• Cranberry Business Manuals:

  • B. Eastwood's comprehensive manual (1859) detailed profitability, cultivation, and the agribusiness side.
    • “The book contains chapters that walk the would be cranberry producer through everything from setting up a bog to selecting plants…” (24:39)

• World’s Fair:

  • 1893 Columbian Exposition included a live cranberry bog display by Wisconsin growers.

• Standardization:

  • 1899: U.S. sets standard cranberry barrel weight (100 pounds).

9. Canned Cranberry Sauce & Marcus L. Urann

• Who Gets the Credit?

  • Marcus L. Urann, originally a lawyer, left his practice in 1906 and bought a bog. He later founded the American Cranberry Exchange, the National Cranberry Association, and began canning sauce.
    • “Yaron…decided to ditch his law practice and buy a cranberry bog. That’s kind of funny to me, honestly. This was the start of a lifelong dedication…” (31:15)

• The Logic:

  • Canned sauce used berries crushed during transport—less waste, allowed for extended sales beyond the short harvest window.
    • “What if he cooked those berries down and made a sauce that could be canned? So that is what he did.” (32:30)

• Ocean Spray Origins:

  • Urann co-founded Ocean Spray (originally as National Cranberry Association), with John C. Makepeace and Elizabeth Lee (noted canned sauce maker herself).
    • “It would change to a different familiar name, Ocean Spray.” (33:40)
    • Elizabeth Lee was especially notable: “she started selling a homemade sauce called ‘bog sweet cranberry sauce’…It was very popular.” (35:15)

• Antitrust & Agricultural Co-ops:

  • Urann leveraged agricultural cooperative exemptions to control the market.
    • Notable philosophy: “No individual can materially improve his own position independent of others.” (35:58)

• Other Contributions:

  • Urann was a major advocate for co-ops, provided industry leadership, and established scholarships for cranberry grower families.

10. The 1959 Cranberry Scare

• Weed Killer Controversy:
  • Just before Thanksgiving, a government report flagged carcinogenic herbicide on cranberries. Public overreaction devastated sales despite only ~4% of supply being affected.
    • “The industry won’t get over this. For years, people are timid about these things, especially when cancer is mentioned…” (38:04)
    • “...the amount of cranberries that a person would have to eat…was more than any reasonable person could actually consume.” (39:30)
• Industry Response:
  • U.S. cranberry growers were first to drop DDT after the scare.

11. Modern Cranberries: Use, Challenges, and the Future

• Today’s Market:
  • Only about 5% of cranberries are sold as fresh fruit; the rest are juice, preserves, or sauce.
    • “By the 2000 teens, more than 5 million gallons of jellied cranberry sauce was being consumed in the US annually.” (40:16)
• Changing the Berry:
  • Efforts underway to breed sweeter, snackable cranberries—takes decades due to long vine lifespan.
• Climate Change:
  • A major threat, as cranberry growth is reliant on specific climate cues and consistency.
    • “The plants need a specific amount of time in cold weather to be dormant in order to flourish again…” (41:08)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Cranberries do not grow in the water. They just do not. So if you thought that, it’s because you see the bogs filled with water.” — Holly Fry [05:12]
• “Use them much, boiling them with sugar for sauce to eat with their meat, and it is a delicate sauce, especially for roasted mutton. Some make tarts with them, as with gooseberries.” — John Jocelyn, quoted by Holly Fry [11:20]
• “What if he cooked those berries down and made a sauce that could be canned? So that is what he did.” — Tracy V. Wilson, on Marcus Urann [32:30]
• “No individual can materially improve his own position independent of others.” — Marcus L. Urann (quoted by Holly Fry) [35:58]
• “I felt I could do something for New England. You know, everything in life is what you do for others.” — Marcus L. Urann (quoted by Tracy V. Wilson) [36:44]
• “The industry won’t get over this. For years, people are timid about these things, especially when cancer is mentioned. You can’t blame the government for being careful. And if there is any danger, we certainly want to know about it.” — Marcus L. Urann, 1959 [38:04]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Food Arguments: 02:17–03:37
• Cranberry Growing Regions: 03:34–04:23
• Cranberry Botany & Longevity: 04:45–05:46
• Harvest Methods Explained: 05:46–08:03
• Prehistoric Native & Indigenous Uses: 08:03–09:17
• European Experience & Name Origin: 09:17–10:00
• Early Botanical & Culinary Accounts: 10:00–11:59
• Sir Joseph Banks and English Cultivation: 15:57–18:22
• Cranberry Industry—Rise and Mechanization: 19:33–24:02
• Business Manuals & Industrialization: 24:02–26:10
• Mini Cranberry Bog Display—World’s Fair: 25:37–26:10
• Canned Cranberry Sauce & Marcus Urann: 30:35–35:40
• Cranberry Scare of 1959: 37:48–39:55
• Modern Use & Climate Change: 40:16–41:43

Tone and Language

• Friendly, warm, and welcoming, with a touch of good-humored exasperation about food debates and a deep curiosity about culinary and agricultural history.
• The hosts frequently share personal tidbits, laugh together, and invite listeners into their process of discovery and inquiry.

Conclusion

This episode artfully combines cranberry botany, indigenous practices, holiday traditions, and industrial history, culminating in the story of canned cranberry sauce and Ocean Spray’s rise. Even for listeners without a “cranberry queen” in their lives, it’s an unexpectedly rich look at a fruit that’s far more than just a jellied cylinder next to the turkey.