Do Cranberries Bounce?

You might know that cranberries float, but did you know that they can bounce too?  The bounce test is a 100-year-old idea that is still used today in fresh fruit production. 

John Webb was a Cranberry Grower from New Jersey.  One day while he was carrying a box of Fresh Cranberries down the steps of his barn, the box spilled!  John noticed that all the firm, fresh cranberries bounced all the way down the stairs, but the bruised or rotten berries remained on the steps.  It is unknown if he spilled the box intentionally or if it was an accident.  However, this discovery was used to develop the bounce separators that are still used today to separate fresh fruit.    

The bouncing berry experiment allows students to discover if this story is true.  Using Cranberry Learning’s record keeping worksheets, students can conduct bounce experiments.  Find out which berries bounce the highest and which ones do not bounce at all.