Q. What brocho does one recite on dried cranberries?
A. On question 1239 we wrote: Shulchan Aruch (O.H. 203: 2) rules that one recites hoadama on berries grown on bushes that yearly loose their trunk and only the roots remain next year. Therefore on strawberries the correct brocho is hoadama and so rule many Poskim (See Mishna Berura ibid.3, Igrois Moishe 1: 86, Maharsham 1: 196, Vesein Bracha p. 392-394, Shaarei Bracha P. 707 n.758 et. al.)
If the plant grows within 3 tefachim (9 inches) of the ground, such as cranberries, we treat them as bushes and thus we recite on them hoadama. (Vesein Bracha p. 392-394, Shaarei Bracha P. 437 n.758 et. al.) The Halachos of Brochos quotes the psak of Horav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, z’tl, “Cranberries grow on creeping vines which grow along the ground. Although the plant produces fruit year after year, nevertheless, since cranberries grow within nine inches of the ground, its brocho is hoadamah.” Rav Belsky, zt”l (quoted in OU Kosher) ruled that the bracha on dried cranberries is hoadama. Although the cranberry plant survives from year to year, and in fact can live for over a hundred years, since the berries grow on or near the ground.
However, the Laws of Brachos by Rabbi Binyomin Forst, writes that the brocho on cranberries is haeitz. Shaarei Brachah (p. 565); Pinas Hahalacha Uminhag, (1309). Pischei Halacha (p. 283) and others maintain that although cranberries as we know them grow on low-lying vines, there are some cranberries that grow on 15 feet high plants. It seems that all cranberries were originally grown higher, but are now grown close to the ground to make the fruit easier to harvest. Therefore, many consider the cranberry a fruit, on which the blessing hoetz should be said.
In Halacha, when the proper brocho is hoadama, the recitation of haeitz would be incorrect, and would result in a bracha levatala and in effect no first bracha having been recited on the food at all. If one recited haeitz, some Poskim maintain that he should take a small bite and then out of doubt, make hoadama on a vegetable or similar. (Vesein Bracha p. 392-394, Shaarei Brocho 17 3 n. 4).
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that, the correct brocho on both strawberries and cranberries is hoadama. However, on strawberries even bedieved, after the fact, the haeitz recited on them is levatala (on vain), and a new hoadama blessing should be recited. For cranberries, after the fact, one should follow the last above mentioned opinion.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a