About this item Gluten-free, suitable for vegans 100% pure fruit, a natural product GMO-free, no preservatives Cranberries are the red-coloured fruit of the cranberry shrub, a low, creeping evergreen bush or vine native to a number of countries in North and South America and Central and Northern Europe. They are a major commercial crop in some states of the USA and in Canada, where they are generally processed into juice, sauces, jams, or sold either as fresh or dried fruits. Freeze-dried cranberries are dehydrated down to 10 per cent of their original water content without preservatives or sugar and have a strong, natural flavour. They can be eaten as they are or added to drinks such as smoothies or reconstituted with water. Freeze-drying is the healthiest and ideal way of preserving them without using preservatives. Freeze-dried cranberries can also be sold in powdered form, which enables their goodness and flavour to be introduced into food in a more subtle way, perhaps as a supplement. As a powder, they can more easily be used in smoothies, milkshakes, lollies, jelly, yoghurt, custard, meringues, sauces, and desserts. They can also be dusted over the tops of puddings or sprinkled over cereals. After opening packaging with freeze-dried products, packaging must be tightly closed in order to preserve it, thus protecting it from air and humidity.