Harvesting Cranberries On Cape Cod: A Sight To Be Seen

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Harvesting cranberries on Cape Cod is a sight to be seen. The rhythm between farmer and bog, take a moment to enjoy this beautiful activity.

NOTE: This post has been updated since it was originally published on November 17, 2022.

There is something about watching the farmers harvesting cranberries that puts me in a peaceful, reflective state.

Whether it’s the beautiful colors of the cranberries, the rushing water settling into the bogs, or the rhythmic nature of the farmers raking the cranberries. No matter the reason, I enjoy watching this outdoor fall activity on beautiful Cape Cod.

Before I moved to Cape Cod, harvesting cranberries was foreign to me. I knew cranberries grew in bogs but beyond that, I barely gave it any thought.

Cranberries were something I picked up in preparation for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner and then forgot for the rest of the year.

Now that I live on the Cape and see the effort it takes to grow cranberries, I am almost embarrassed at how little respect I gave this beautiful fruit.

Cranberries are treasured here and contribute significantly to the economy.

When the season peaks you will see local cranberries in grocery stores and farmers markets, and we even have our own cranberry festival.

You can also take tours of cranberry farms in the area, to see how cranberries grow. Very cool!

Harvesting Cranberries

There are two different ways to harvest cranberries, wet or dry harvesting.

Wet Harvest

Over 90% of cranberries are harvested using the wet harvest method. These are the dried cranberries you find in juice and sauces, and these wet harvested cranberries are also found as an ingredient in processed foods.

A wet harvest means the farmers flood the bogs and then use a machine to beat down the cranberry vines to dislodge the cranberries.

These machines are nicknamed the eggbeaters, which is exactly what they do, turning the water, catching the vines, and dislodging the cranberries, which then float to the top of the water.

The cranberries then get rounded up and pumped onto a truck, or lifted by a conveyor, and sent to a receiving station for cleaning and grading.

Dry Harvest

Grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and roadside stands use dry-harvested cranberries.

In this method, the farmer stands behind and pushes a machine called a mechanical picker to comb the cranberries off of the vines.

The cranberries then get conveyed into burlap bags, or wooden boxes, and transferred to receiving stations, similar to the cranberries that are wet harvested.

A Peaceful Pause: Watching the Cranberry Harvest

Heading to the bogs and watching the farmers harvesting cranberries is an enjoyable activity for anyone but for me, as a busy caregiver, it is a wonderful way to destress after a long day. Peaceful and therapeutic all at once.

When the weather is nice and the air is clear and crisp, I enjoy bundling up, spending time outdoors, and watching the farmer’s harvest.

I also enjoy going to the cranberry bogs with Doug, my guy who is managing Parkinson’s disease. Together we enjoy the scenery, fresh air, and walking along the perimeter of the bogs.

It is good exercise for us both, and a wonderful way to get outside, breathe in some fresh air, and spend quality time together.

Doug knows far more than I do about the machinery and the technicalities of harvesting cranberries. He watches cranberry harvesting very differently than I do.

I just enjoy the view, the beautiful bright colors of the bogs, crisp bright blue skies, the surrounding trees, and the changing color of the leaves.

Cranberries In The Kitchen

Cranberry season runs roughly from mid-September to early November.

During this time you will see cranberries sold up and down the Cape. In grocery stores, farmer’s markets, cranberry festivals, and even at the cranberry farms themselves.

Every season, I pick up several bags of fresh cranberries to cook and experiment with in the kitchen.

There are plenty of recipes to make with cranberries. Sweet dishes like muffins, scones, pancakes, and cookies, as well as savory recipes like whole grain bowls, salads, relishes, and more.

Harvesting cranberries in the fall is the perfect time to get ready for the upcoming holiday season.

If you don’t think you will be using your cranberries right away, like within a week or so, and you want them to be fresh for your Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday meal, I recommend washing and drying your cranberries thoroughly, placing them in a freezer safe bag or container, and then putting your cranberries in the freezer.

This will preserve their freshness until you are ready to use them.

Fun Facts About Harvesting Cranberries

Here are some interesting fun facts about cranberries.

• Cranberries do not grow in water but rather on vines.
  The cranberry bogs themselves get flooded throughout the year for various reasons. In the wintertime, the bogs are flooded with water to protect the vines and buds from frost. In the springtime, the bogs are sometimes flooded to manage insects and diseases, and of course, in the fall the bogs are flooded for harvesting cranberries.
• Wisconsin is the leading producer of cranberries, and Massachusetts is number two.
• Cranberries are used in more than 1,000 different food and beverage products.
• Cranberries bounce when they are ripe and are sometimes called bounce berries.
  I know this to be true. When I was watching the cranberries being conveyed into the trucks, I had to stand farther back because the cranberries were bouncing right at me when I’d get too close.
• Sailors and whalers would bring cranberries on board their ships to prevent the development of scurvy.

If you don’t live near a cranberry bog but still would like to see how they harvest cranberries, I made a short video of the farmers harvesting cranberries right near my home here on Cape Cod.

VIDEO: Harvesting Cranberries On Cape Cod

Take a moment to relax and enjoy this beautiful peaceful video.

Caregiver Support When It’s Difficult To Get Outside

If you are a caregiver who cannot readily leave your home because your loved one is high-risk, first, I am sorry you are having to manage under such stressful conditions.

Chronic disease affects not just the one with the condition but the entire family and household as well. It is not easy overall.

I’d like to encourage you to take five minutes to sit in a quiet place and watch this video. I am hopeful you will find it beautiful and relaxing to watch.

You may not be at the cranberry bogs themselves, but the scenery, colors, and music hopefully will help to put your mind at ease – if for only a few minutes.

FREE Caregiver Resources

Finally, I created a very detailed caregiver resource page to help you quickly find organizations for support as a caregiver.

The resources contain all kinds of support for caregivers, from general, financial, and legal support, to more specific support for those who are taking care of loved ones with Alzheimer’s, dementia, cancer, and more.

You can get those resources below.

Upside Lane is a supportive community for all caregivers. We are in this together.

More Cranberry Recipes and Articles to Enjoy

• Healthy Quinoa Cranberry Salad: The Perfect Holiday Side Dish
• Healthy Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce with Raspberries
• The Perfect Sparkling Ginger Cranberry Mocktail
• How to Dry Cranberries: Sugar and Oil-Free Recipe
• New England In The Fall: Reasons to Love Cape Cod In Autumn

Additional Support for Caregivers

Let’s Connect

I hope you enjoyed reading this article on harvesting cranberries on Cape Cod.

If you ever get the chance to watch farmers harvesting cranberries live and in person, I highly recommend you do. It is such a beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing sight to see.

QUESTION. Have you ever seen cranberries being harvested? If so, what was your experience?

I’d love to hear from you. Let me know in the comment section below.

Please consider sharing this article with friends and family if you feel they would find it enjoyable.

Thank you for sharing