Cranberry Stressline August
2001
Before
Ambiguous - are
they a new variety or not?
(Excerpts from the
Ocean Spray August 2001 press release) Every fall, cranberry
growers head out to the bogs for the annual harvest, something
well known for its magnificent crimson beauty. The deep colors of
the red harvest against a blue skyline create a breathtaking
sight. For the first time this year, however, Ocean Spray growers
will be harvesting a crop of a different kind - white cranberry.
That's right -- WHITE!
These smoother, milder tasting
berries will make their "white carpet" debut in early
September when Ocean Spray introduces the first-ever line of White
Cranberry Juice Drinks...
Harvested just a few weeks earlier
than red cranberries, white cranberries are inherently
lighter in color and deliver a smoother, milder taste. With the introduction
of the white cranberry, cranberries are now harvested twice in
one season - the late summer white harvest and fall red harvest.
There are about 100 varieties of cranberries grown. Ocean
Spray White Cranberry Juice Drinks are made from select
cranberry varieties, grown only in certain areas of the
country. While the tart, red berries have won a loyal following
of millions of cranberry lovers worldwide, there are those who
don't fancy their full-force flavor. Now there's a way for
those consumers to enjoy the healthy goodness of cranberry without
having to pucker up.
Sections in bold suggest
that white cranberries may be a different variety than red
cranberries. Coupled with the picture on the label and the label
statement that the juice is made from "fully ripened
cranberries" what else could the consumer think? |
Now
Much clearer
language that white cranberries are an early harvested version of
the red cranberry
(Excerpts from the Trenton Times
interviewing several Ocean Spray officials) Southern New Jersey's
annual crimson tide of cranberries will roll in on schedule next
month, but the berries won't be the first of the season.
Harvest began yesterday for an
early crop, picked while still in the white stage and destined for
a new line of milder-tasting juices designed to help boost the
flagging cranberry industry.
Dubbed white cranberries, they are
the same varieties as the familiar red ones, except they are
harvested about three weeks earlier, before the cool September
nights give them their familiar shade of deep crimson.
"We have a two-week window to
harvest while the berries are white," said Stephen V. Lee III
of Lee Brothers. "The cranberries naturally ripen from green
to white to red and you want them to be sweet enough."
There's nothing new about white
cranberries, Lee said. "Some berries never turn red. They are
too far down under the vines and never see sunlight. They just get
harvested with the red ones and made into juice."
"A longer growing season
produces more vines. The vines shade the berries and keep them
from turning red," Lee said.
"Like white eggplant and
white asparagus, we thought it might catch people's
interest."
|
Cranberry Science
From the Ocean Spray White Cranberry Juice
Drink label
by Hal Brown
In an article in the July 1999 issue of
Cranberries Magazine entitled "Cranberry Cultivar Acreage Survey:
Are we shunning genetic diversity?" by Teryl R. Roper, a survey by
the Cranberry Marketing Committee was published showing the planted
cranberry acreage by cultivar. Stevens (13,453), Early Blacks (6,866),
Howes (4,693), Ben Lear (2,749), McFarlin (2,686), Searles (2,571),
Pilgrim (710), and Bergman (555) accounted for most of the production.
Ocean Spray has said that the white cranberry harvest is divided between
2/3rds Howes and 1/3rd Stevens, although there was a photograph of white
Searles being harvested in a Wisconsin newspaper.
LeMunyon (212), Natives (141) Mixed (653) and Other (365) accounted for
the rest. According to Paul Eck (The American Cranberry, page 62)
in the 150 years since the commercial cultivation of cranberries there
have been 132 selections from the wild propagation in addition to the
seven improved cultivars obtained from controlled hybridization. In a
table of colors, Eck describes the primary cranberries currently being
grown in the United States as follows: Been Lear - deep red, Bergman -
red, Crowley, deep red, Early Black - dark, Franklin - red to dark red,
Howes - good red color, McFarlin - deep red, Pilgrim - dark, Searles
-deep red, and Stevens -deep red.
F. B. Chandler,
Research Professor, and Irving DeMoranville, Instructor,
write in the classic "Cranberry Varieties of North America
(Experimental Station, College of Agriculture, University of
Massachusetts, Bulletin 513 in 1958): of the then "Big Four"
variety of Cranberries, the Early Black, Howes, McFarlin, and Searles.
Early Blacks: "The
berries are blackish red when ripe...."
Howes: "The fruit ripens late, usually the first week in October,
the berries turning medium red when ripe."
MrFarlin: "The fruit ripens late, usually the second week
in October, with deep red berries..."
Searles: "The fruit ripens in mid season, usually the
third or fourth week in September. The berries are deep
red when ripe..."
Stevens, which along with Howes are the primary varieties being used
for the white cranberry juices, were not one of the common varieties
in 1958. They are a McFarlin X Potter cross. Chandler and
DeMoranville's chart (page 16) describes their berry color as deep
red.
Ripe vs. Mature
by Hal Brown
8/30/01 My understanding
from talking to a few agriculture scientists was that ripe fruit
was fruit that had viable seeds, while mature fruit was fruit that
had developed its full flavor and color. Hence my Betty Boop cartoon.
However in doing a web search I found that there is substantial
confusion in the definition of the terms.
Consider the excerpt from Texas
A&M below:
"Mature" and "ripe"
are not synonymous terms when applied to most fruits. Mature fruit
have all of the internal components necessary to fully ripen even if
they are picked before they are ready to eat. But a ripe fruit is at
the point at which it is ready to eat. Many fruits, including peaches,
reach maturity while still hard, several days before they ripen.
Harvesting fruit at proper maturity and
storing it under proper conditions can be just as important as a good
spray program. Immature fruit lacks characteristic flavor and texture,
while over-ripe fruit is usually mealy with rapid tissue breakdown and
does not hold up in storage.
Where ripening characteristics are
concerned, fruits fall into three categories:
- Those picked green-mature for
storage, but whose flavor is not as good as that of fruits that
reach full maturity on the tree (such as peaches, nectarines and
plums).
- Those picked and ripened in storage,
whose flavor is as good or better than tree-ripened (including
avocados and bananas, which mature on the tree but do not reach
peak flavor until picked and held for 4 to 5 days at room
temperature).
- Those fruits that must ripen on the
tree or vine (such as grapes, blackberries and citrus).
From
Texas A&M Extension Service
Texas A&M reverse the
meaning completely. However, other scientific articles on specific
fruits use the words interchangeably, while still others use them as I
understood them to mean ripe = viable seeds and mature = full
development.
The USDA says the
following:
Degree of Ripeness -- The terms
"hard," "firm," and "soft," are
subjective terms used to describe the degrees of maturity or ripeness
of a fruit. A "hard" texture will not give when pressed. A
"firm" texture will give slightly to pressure. A
"soft" texture will be soft to the touch.
Mature -- Describes a fruit that
is ready to be picked, whether or not it is ripe at this time. If a
fruit is picked when mature, it can ripen properly, but if picked when
immature, it cannot ripen properly.
Ripe -- Describes a fruit that
is ready to be eaten. Reference
The University of California
Extension Service says:
Maturity
at harvest is the most important factor that determines storage-life
and fruit quality to the consumer. Immature fruits are more likely to
shrivel and are of inferior quality when ripe. Overripe fruits are
likely to become soft and mealy soon after harvest. Fruits picked
either too early or too late in the season are more likely to have a
shorter storage-life than those picked at the proper maturity.
All
fruits, with a few exceptions (such as pears, avocados, and bananas),
reach their best eating quality when allowed to ripen on the tree or
plant. Some fruits are picked mature but unripe so they can withstand
the postharvest handling when shipped long distance. Most are picked
at a time which is a compromise between the best eating quality to the
consumer and that which provide the needed flexibility in marketing. Reference
The following is from a Horticulture
class at the University of Wisconsin on fruit maturity and ripening
I. As fruit nears harvest changes occur
that will ultimately make the fruit palatable. In the wild this aids
in dispersion of the offspring (seeds) and affords the next generation
the opportunity to grow in a different site. This also prevents the
offspring from competing with the parent plant for light, water and
nutrients.
II. Ripeness and physiological maturity
are not the same thing
A. Immature = the stage of development
before fruit are mature
B. Physiological maturity = having
completed their development and the rate of growth has slowed. When
harvested the fruit is capable of continuing normal development
towards acceptable eating quality. Can only happen while attached to
the plant.
C. Ripe = having reached a
peak of flavor, aroma, texture and juiciness and ready to eat.
May occur off or on the plant depending on the species.
D. Senescence = The final stage of
fruit development when fruit are beyond ripe and breakdown and decay
begin. Primarily a breakdown process, but new enzymes & products
can be formed. Reference
Does this matter? If in fact, the
definition of ripe, C above, is commonly accepted by food scientists,
calling white cranberry fully ripened, may be untrue. It comes down to
the meaning of the word "a" in the sentence highlight in red.
Can there be more than one "peak of flavor, aroma, texture and
juiciness?" If so, Ocean Spray may be free and clear with the FTC,
which regulates language on labels. However, if there can only be
one "peak" of "flavor, aroma, texture and
juiciness," I think that most impartial readers would agree that
the crimson cranberry (whether you call it fully ripe or mature) stands
alone on that particular peak.
More articles
Fruits
Have Ways Of Signaling When They're Ripe
Choosing
Fruit That's Truly Ripe
Know
when fruits are ripe
Editorial
Based on the Ocean Spray Press
Release
1. For the first time
this year, however, Ocean Spray growers will be harvesting a crop
of a different kind - white cranberry. That's right -- WHITE!
2. These smoother, milder tasting
berries will make their "white carpet" debut in early
September when Ocean Spray introduces the first-ever line of White
Cranberry Juice Drinks (White Cranberry, White Cranberry &
Strawberry, and White Cranberry & Peach).
3. Harvested just a few weeks
earlier than red cranberries, white cranberries are inherently
lighter in color and deliver a smoother, milder taste. With the
introduction of the white cranberry, cranberries are now harvested
twice in one season - the late summer white harvest and fall red
harvest.
4. There are about 100 varieties of
cranberries grown. Ocean Spray White Cranberry Juice Drinks are
made from select cranberry varieties, grown only in certain areas
of the country. While the tart, red berries have won a loyal
following of millions of cranberry lovers worldwide, there are
those who don't fancy their full-force flavor. Now there's a way
for those consumers to enjoy the healthy goodness of cranberry
without having to pucker up.
5. For years, traditional cranberry
juice cocktail has been known for its ability to help maintain
urinary tract health. The White Cranberry Juice Drinks offer
consumers another way to enjoy the health benefits of cranberry.
Research suggests that Ocean Spray White Cranberry Juice Drinks
may help maintain urinary tract health. They also contain 130%
Vitamin C. These new white juice drinks, that are less tart, still
healthy and, by the way...less likely to stain...offer a superbly
refreshing taste that the whole family will enjoy.
|
1. Lie-o-meter:
white
It is a crop of a different kind,
white, not a different variety of berry per se, but as an
introductory paragraph it sets up the reader for escalating
falsehoods.
2. Lie-o-meter: gray
(awaiting further confirmation)
Based on my own taste tests and discussions with two experts, the
berries themselves don't taste smoother and milder. The sugars
develop as the berries mature.
3. Lie-o-meter: gray
Building on the perception that
white cranberries are a unique variety that are "inherently
lighter in color and deliver a smoother, milder taste" this
section builds towards a greater lie. Rather than state the simple
truth, that white cranberries are an early harvest of a variety
that can also be harvested later in the season, it is a more
effective marketing tool to make the consumer believe this is a
new variety like Niagara grapes.
4.Lie-o-meter: almost
black
This is about as close as Ocean
Spray dared to come to a true black lie. By following the first
sentence about 100 varieties of cranberries with the sentence
about white juice being made from select cranberry varieties,
there is a strong suggestion that there are varieties that are
intrinsically white. In fact, my understanding is that all
cranberry varieties when allowed to fully mature will turn
red. The other interesting almost black lie is that ripe but not
mature berries lack the "full-force flavor of red
berries." In fact, as any cranberry grower can tell you, a
deep crimson berry actually tastes better than a pink one.
5.Lie-o-meter: probably
true
According to my scientific advisors,
the active chemical that is thought to be responsible for urinary
tract health is also thought to be present in both white and red
cranberries. However, the heart health and anti-cancer properties
being suggested for highly colored fruits aren't likely to be
present in the white cranberry.
|
Doanne Andresen: Open
Letter to the Cranberry Marketing Committee and the USDA
Economics seen forcing
growers out of business
by Karen Dusek
Middleboro Gazette
8/16/01 Middleboro -- With
the latest per barrel return to Ocean Spray growers at $11.43 - as low
as $7 per barrel for independents - and indications that it will take
three to five years for returns to get back to a sustainable level,
cranberry growers in the area are taking a long, hard look at their
future. CONTINUED
O.S. Press Release: The
Cranberry Gets a Makeover; Ocean Spray to Harvest First Crop of 'White
Cranberries'
Op-Ed
Pawns in a chess game
by John Swendrowski
CEO, Northland Cranberries
8/1/01 -- Over the course of the last
18 months I have written several Op-ed’s, attended grower meetings and
attended several CMC meetings to highlight the long-term impact of the
oversupply on our price per barrel. Until we deal with the on-going
year-end inventory, we cannot expect to see significant changes in the
price per barrel. Based on public reports of the latest Ocean Spray
meetings, it appears that the current outlook by the industry leader is
that it will take four to five years to reach the new defined break even
price of $25 per barrel cash during a twelve month period. CONTINUED
The anonymous banner plane that flew
over the Wisconsin Field Days protesting Ocean Spray's new white
cranberry juice drink.
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