Beyond its appeal alongside turkey and stuffing, cranberries are a $70 million industry in the United States. But what’s not showing up on your Thanksgiving table might have surprising value – the cranberry skins and seeds leftover from juice processing, called “pomace.”
What makes it valuable is the waxy “cutin” in this byproduct of the juice and sauce industry. Many plants have cutin in their skins – apples, pears, blueberries – that have potential to be repurposed into a bio-based binder or coating for many products.