Terschelling is one of the islands north of the Netherlands. It is a small island with an area of 674km2. Less than 5000 people live there. It is about 30km long and 4.5km wide.
Now you may be wondering: 'how is it possible that wild cranberries grow on this island?' That's a special story. Naturally, cranberries do not grow at all in the Netherlands. For the answer, we have to go back over 150 years.
The story
Cranberries have always been very popular in America. Here, the small berries have been used for hundreds of years. For example, the Native Americans already knew how healthy and useful the berries were. Later in the days of shipping and discovering, cranberries were already widely carried on board by American ships. They were taken to keep the crew healthy and prevent scurvy.
Many shipping routes passed through the English Channel toward Scandinavia. Here many ships had trouble with the shallow waters, therefore driftwood and barrels of wine, washed ashore regularly. Until once a barrel of hard sour berries washed ashore on Terschelling.
Very likely, the inhabitants of the island left the barrel with the berries somewhere in the dunes. There was a fear of "strange" food because who knows, maybe it was poisonous. So the berries were left behind and for a time not much attention was paid to them. In 1868, this changed. Then a botanist was busy for his studies and investigated the Dutch islands. On the island of Terschelling he came across the cranberry bush throughout, with no idea how this native fruit could grow on the island. So this must be traced back to the barrel that washed ashore where the hard red berries started to germinate and grow!
Now the island is known for producing cranberries and they are proud of the great story and this beautiful product!
What does it do to the taste?
Because the conditions are different than in America, for example, it also affects the taste. The climate and soil ensure an intense taste experience of the berries. Because these are also wild berries, there is no human influence and the berries are completely organic. The sourness and bitterness of the berries is actually different compared to other cranberries!
Health benefits
It's for a good reason why the Americans took the cranberries along with long journeys accros the sea. They are little vitamin bombs!
Cranberries are full of vitamin C, E, B1, B2, B5, B6, B11 and vitamin K. Your body uses these vitamins for growth, recovery and immune system.
Cranberries are not only rich in vitamins but also in minerals such as copper, magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium and more! They support your brain, bones and nervous system.
Would you to order these Dutch cranberries? Contact me, Michael Koekebakker, via
