Cranberry and lingonberry: differences

What is the difference between a cranberry and a lingonberry? We have the answer to this question ready for you here.

Pink-red and bittersweet, we know both berries as an addition to many favorite dishes. The similarity can cause confusion. You'd think the cherry-sized cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) would be a highly bred variety of the smaller one cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), or “Cranberry” would just be the English name for the exact same plant. You can read with us what is really true and what makes the differences.

Cranberry or lingonberry: the differences

Right from the start we clarify the hard plant systematic facts: The cranberry and the lingonberry are different types. The same generic name Vaccinium but already shows that their similarity is based on kinship. Together with the blueberry and over 450 other species, they belong to the genus of blueberries (

Vaccinium).

The cranberry or American cranberry is a creeping wild wood of the raised bogs that is native to North America and is cultivated on a large scale. Other Cranberries are also widespread in Eurasia, but are not presented here. The four large air chambers of the scarlet fruit contribute much to the great economic importance of the "Cranberry" at: They enable a particularly efficient harvest when the fields are flooded and the berries swim on top. Over 300,000 tons per year are harvested in the USA alone, the country with the world's largest production.

The lingonberry is a low wood that looks very similar to the cranberry at first glance. It is also found in North America and Asia, but has its greatest economic importance in Northern Europe, where it is collected in the wild, but also grown. The main suppliers are Finland, Norway and Sweden. Their demands on the location are the same as those of the cranberry: low-lime, well-drained soils with a pH value between 5 and 6, partial shade and a thick blanket of snow in winter make both happy.

The most striking difference between the two berries is the size and taste of the fruit. While the lingonberry has smaller berries that taste very tart and sour, those of the cranberry can almost reach the size of a cherry and are much milder.

Uses and ingredients of cranberry and lingonberry

In the kitchen, both types are only suitable for raw consumption to a limited extent. They taste sour and bitter, and raw, they can cause constipation and gas. The berries are much tastier and more popular in sauces, chutneys and jams, as an acidic addition to vegetable stews and roasts or in dried form as a snack or ingredient in muesli.

The diverse ingredients of the two berries make them ideal as medicinal products, although the herb is sometimes more widely used than the berries. Lingonberries contain vitamins A, C, B1 and B2, potassium and other minerals in comparatively medium amounts. On the other hand, the content of pectins and organic acids is high. One of the pharmaceutically interesting ingredients is arbutin. This substance disinfects urine and also has a positive effect on intestinal virus diseases. Arbutin is not found in many plants. In the case of the lingonberry, it is mainly found in the herb and in comparatively small quantities in the fruit.

The much touted effect against inflammation of the urinary tract has been increasingly questioned in recent years, but the high content of healthy phytochemicals is undisputed. The tannic acids contained have anti-inflammatory effects. Resveratrol is another ingredient that can help regulate cholesterol levels. As a medicine, the cranberry plant has similar qualities. Organic acids such as quinic acid can also be found in her. Anthocyanins and flavonoids, the healthy plant pigments from the group of polyphenols, also develop their cell protection here.

Here again the differences and similarities at a glance:

• Relationship and origin: The cranberry or American cranberry is the North American cousin of the smaller lingonberry. Both are wild plants, but the cranberry is grown on a large scale, while the lingonberry harvest comes to a large extent from wild collections.
• Appearance and use: The cranberry can grow to the size of a cherry and is scarlet. It tastes milder than the small, dark red and very tart lingonberry and is therefore also suitable for raw consumption in small quantities. Both types are cooked to make savory jams and sauces and are often served with hearty meat dishes. As dried fruits, they are popular with muesli and as a snack.
• Medical significance: The ingredients of lingonberries and cranberries are very similar. They are of pharmacological interest and much touted home remedies for urinary tract diseases and intestinal viruses - but these aspects are controversial. However, their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects are high.

Growing cranberry in the garden

The cranberry is not only interesting for your own garden because of its healthy berries, it also cuts a fine figure as a ground cover. The prerequisite is that your special requirements for the location are met: a soil pH value of 5 and humus-sandy, permeable soil are mandatory. If the soil is too basic and heavy, you can use either sand, peat-free rhododendron soil and bark mulch Improve in-depth, or you decide on an uncomplicated pot culture - the choice of the right substrate provided. A detailed guide to the Cultivation of cranberries can be found in our special article.

An overview of the other Berry varieties for your garden see this article.