Monday, October 10, 2011

Cranberries/ Our World

 Cranberries growing in a field

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada. We are celebrating Nature's autumn bounty so it seemed fitting that I post about harvesting cranberries.

Two weekends ago, my husband and I visited Johnston's Cranberry Marsh in Muskoka Lakes,  Ontario.

 A field of cranberries

If you are like me, you thought cranberries grow under water. Actually, farmers flood the fields to make them easier to harvest.

 Cranberries floating in water

Cranberries float because each berry has four chambers filled with air.

 Cranberry picker

Once the fields are flooded with water, this is the rig that the does the picking. You can click HERE to see the post I did last year that shows how it works.

The hopper

Harvested cranberries ware placed in the hopper. As the berries go up, vines and leaves are left behind.

The dryer

As the berries come down the other side, they dry and move inside to be sorted.

 Sorting table (I'm not sure what this is called, but that's what happens here)

This photo was taken through a glass window. Nobody was there when I took the photo, perhaps because it was  lunchtime.

Bagged and ready for sale 

Click HERE to see tons more photos about Our World.
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53 comments:

  1. KateOctober 10, 2011 at 7:17 AM

    There is more to cranberry sauce than I ever imagined! Great post with series of informative photos and info for Canadian Thanksgiving Day. Hope you celebrate and have wonderful fun and food!

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  2. DawnTreaderOctober 10, 2011 at 7:21 AM

    I don't think I've ever seen cranberries "live" (only as dried fruit and juice, jam etc).

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  3. ZosiaOctober 10, 2011 at 7:29 AM

    Perfect to go with the turkey.

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  4. DarlaOctober 10, 2011 at 7:47 AM

    Happy Thanksgiving. What are you having with your cranberries?

    Darla

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  5. eileeninmdOctober 10, 2011 at 8:23 AM

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! Very interesting post on the cranberries and harvesting. I learned something new, thanks for sharing your world.

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  6. MadSnapperOctober 10, 2011 at 8:31 AM

    thanks for all the info, this is all new to me, since i am from the deep south and never seen fields of cranberries except on commercials on TV. i love cranberries, whole or canned or jellied or dryed and eaten like raisins.

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  7. BirdmanOctober 10, 2011 at 9:03 AM

    So what's for dinner today on Thanksgiving in Canada.

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  8. Cezar and LéiaOctober 10, 2011 at 9:14 AM

    Thanks for this interesting post and very complete reportage! :)
    Léia

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  9. John "By Stargoose And Hanglands"October 10, 2011 at 9:29 AM

    I can't say I'd ever given a thought to cranberries before - but I certainly will next time I have some saucewith my turkey. Thanks for educating me!

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  10. Judy October 10, 2011 at 9:35 AM

    We have cranberry bogs north of us but never have visited them. This was all so interesting. Hope you're having a wonderful Thanksgiving.

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  11. TexWisGirlOctober 10, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    that's neat. i've been to some bogs in Wisconsin but that was years ago as a kid. :)

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  12. Louis la VacheOctober 10, 2011 at 9:42 AM

    Very interesting - and timely - post!

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  13. HalcyonOctober 10, 2011 at 10:16 AM

    Cool! We had chocolate covered cranberries with our dessert last night. They probably didn't come from this farm though. But who knows! :)

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  14. Penelope NotesOctober 10, 2011 at 10:24 AM

    It is definitely news to me that cranberries have four chambers filled with air! Nature hides incredible secrets that curious people such as you discover and share. This Thanksgiving Day is an opportunity for me to express thanks to bloggers like you who reveal interesting details of places I can explore so easily from my chair. :)

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  15. ArtandArchitecture-SF.comOctober 10, 2011 at 10:46 AM

    Fascinating. While I intellectually know about cranberry harvest, I have never actually seen a bog or the process. Thank you so much for the education.

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  16. KathyOctober 10, 2011 at 10:54 AM

    Great lesson on cranberries. I will remember that lengthy process when I enjoy them during our Thanksgiving!

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  17. Elisa N ViajesOctober 10, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    I love this post!
    And the pictures of your cranberries are great!
    Elisa, Argentina

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  18. RedPatOctober 10, 2011 at 1:19 PM

    Perfect post for the day! Enjoy Thanksgiving on this wonderful day - can you believe this weather!?

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  19. RoseOctober 10, 2011 at 2:02 PM

    I would love to see that operation in person...and I wonder did it smell good? When I go to the orchard, if the apples are in the cooler, I always have to go walk in and take a deep smell!

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  20. LowellOctober 10, 2011 at 2:12 PM

    Thank you for this post, EG. So very interesting. I think it was due to one of your posts awhile back that I first learned cranberries were grown and harvested in marshes.

    I've been drinking lots of cranberry juice lately. They say it's especially good for really old people!

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  21. RajeshOctober 10, 2011 at 3:07 PM

    Wonderful set of images.

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  22. Tina´s PicStoryOctober 10, 2011 at 3:09 PM

    great serie :)

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  23. CarverOctober 10, 2011 at 3:10 PM

    Happy Thanksgiving! Great shots from the cranberry farm. I saw a documentary once about a cranberry farm that was fascinating.

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  24. Sylvia KOctober 10, 2011 at 3:12 PM

    I agree with Kate -- more to cranberry sauce than I ever knew!!! What a terrific and interesting post for the day, EG! I love it! And your photos are fantastic -- as always! Hope your week is off to a great start!

    Sylvia

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  25. hannahOctober 10, 2011 at 3:45 PM

    Floating them for the harvest.
    What a clever wheeze.
    Lovely post.

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  26. CathyOctober 10, 2011 at 4:03 PM

    Thanks for sharing that - all new to me. Don't think I've seen them grown down here and now I know why the men in the sdvertisment for Cranberry Juice are standing in what looks like a sea of red bobbibg berries!
    Take care
    Cathy

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  27. UnknownOctober 10, 2011 at 4:04 PM

    Can't have turkey without the cranberries!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  28. JudyOctober 10, 2011 at 4:44 PM

    That is a great story about cranberries! So glad you took us along on the tour!

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  29. DutchbabyOctober 10, 2011 at 5:40 PM

    Great post, packed with interesting information and beautiful images. Thanks!

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  30. AnonymousOctober 10, 2011 at 5:42 PM

    A very educational post! Thank you for providing us with all that wonderful info.

    ~Antonette

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  31. Gill - That British WomanOctober 10, 2011 at 6:25 PM

    I agree very educational,

    Gill

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  32. CildemerOctober 10, 2011 at 7:00 PM

    Such an interesting post with very nice shots!
    Thanks for sharing;o)

    ***
    Have a nice and happy Thanksgiving****

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  33. Ruth HiebertOctober 10, 2011 at 7:17 PM

    Thanks for the info,it was very interesting.

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  34. AlOctober 10, 2011 at 7:38 PM

    Great post - I've never seen cranberries prepared for sale like this before.

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  35. ArijaOctober 10, 2011 at 7:41 PM

    A great post. I have only ever picked cranberries in the wild and never thought of them as a farm crop. Really god to see how it is done, Thanks.

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  36. Gillian OlsonOctober 10, 2011 at 8:14 PM

    Great shots, the harvesting of the cranberries is interesting.

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  37. RandyOctober 10, 2011 at 8:30 PM

    Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you day was full of fun.

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  38. lotusleafOctober 10, 2011 at 9:04 PM

    I had always wondered how cranberries looked!

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  39. LesleyOctober 10, 2011 at 9:39 PM

    It is an interesting process that one rarely thinks about! I often think I should make the effort to go up to Balla one day.... (my work doesn't take me that far north)

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  40. Yogi♪♪♪October 10, 2011 at 10:55 PM

    That's cool. Learned a thing or two.

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  41. GeorgeOctober 10, 2011 at 11:17 PM

    Thanks for the photo sequence explaining the harvesting of cranberries. I really like cranberries and I'm happy to learn more about how they get to my table.

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  42. AnonymousOctober 10, 2011 at 11:43 PM

    What a fascinating set of photos! Lovely.

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  43. AnonymousOctober 10, 2011 at 11:47 PM

    Happy happy Thanksgiving. Gobble gobble.

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  44. AnonymousOctober 10, 2011 at 11:47 PM

    Happy happy Thanksgiving. Gobble gobble.

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  45. Sallie (FullTime-Life)October 11, 2011 at 1:27 AM

    What a perfect Thanksgiving post! (And I hope your Holiday was wonderful.) There are some cranberry bogs on the Oregon Coast but I have never heard all of that information. Thanks for sharing -- and your pictures were great..

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  46. Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪October 11, 2011 at 1:35 AM

    I was very curious too until I read their information.

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  47. EbieOctober 11, 2011 at 2:47 AM

    Actually I never knew that they grow on trees. I saw the commercial and the cranberries were floating in water.

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  48. Red Nomad OZOctober 11, 2011 at 6:01 AM

    Like several others, I've never seen a fresh cranberry ... and I still haven't! But your photos bring them one step closer!!

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  49. KateriOctober 11, 2011 at 7:50 AM

    That is very interesting. I thought they normall grew in standing water as well. But I do know that they do just fine in normal garden soil, because I have a half dozen plants in my garden. The whole process of harvesting and cleaning is so interesting. Thanks for sharing!

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  50. UnknownOctober 11, 2011 at 11:24 AM

    so this is what cranberries look like!:p i've tasted cranberry sauce but never seen the tree or the fruit in person. thanks for the introduction.:p

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  51. Small City ScenesOctober 11, 2011 at 2:11 PM

    Really neat pics and info, EG. I am glad you went. MB

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  52. Reader WilOctober 11, 2011 at 3:04 PM

    Happy belated Thanksgiving! I love cranberries and eat them every day. Your posts shows how they are harvested and made ready for consumption.I think this is very interesting. Thanks!

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  53. JackieOctober 12, 2011 at 5:33 PM

    I never knew that, about floating them on water for harvesting, how novel, we learn something new every day. Over here we have to buy them frozen in plastic bags or as tinned jelly or sauce, I don't think they can grow them here at all.

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