Cranberries are one of only three fruits native to North America and one of the world’s most unique fruits! Each berry has four internal air chambers that allow the fruit to float, and to bounce, when they are fresh. Plus, every delicious bite delivers exceptional nutrition.
Cranberries are typically harvested in September-October (one of our favorite times of the year!). Many people believe that cranberries grow in water. They actually grow on low-running, woody, perennial vines that can produce fruit for hundreds of years. Graceland Fruit cranberries are “wet harvested,” which means once the berries are ripe, the bed is flooded with water. Mechanical reels, commonly known as harrows, come through and gently loosen the cranberries from their vine. The air chambers in the fruit cause the cranberries to rise to the surface. The floating berries are then corralled and loaded into trucks for cleaning, freezing, and processing.
Nearly three-quarters of the world’s cranberries are grown in the United States, and over 60% of the U.S. crop is grown in Wisconsin, the primary source for Graceland Fruit cranberries.