Fall is full of vibrant produce and at Farm Boy, we’re all about getting you closer to the farm with the highest quality local and Canadian options available. We work directly with growers to provide you with the freshest, longest-lasting produce possible, including cranberries. Cranberry season in Canada takes place between September and October, although they can be harvested (and fresh varieties are available) as late as January. Year-round, these berries are available in sauces, juices, and dried.
In Farm Boy stores during cranberry season, you can expect to find berries in both fresh and frozen varieties, as well as transformed into new products like seasonal baked goods, beverages, and more. There are plenty of ways to enjoy this Canadian fruit!
Blog Overview
- Cranberries are typically harvested in North America between September to January.
- Cranberries grow in highbush and lowbush types.
- They are tart and tangy in flavour.
- They contain fibre, vitamin C, minerals, and antioxidants.
- Enjoy these berries fresh, frozen, dried, or juiced.
- These fruits are perfect for salads, trail mixes, baked goods, smoothies, sorbets, cocktails, and more.
Where Do Cranberries Grow in Canada?
A native plant to North America, cranberries grew in abundance in the wild in Atlantic Canada, where the wetlands and climate are ideal for the fruit. These days, the majority grow in Québec and British Columbia. The Maritimes—New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island—provide less than 10% of Canadian cranberries.
How Are Cranberries Harvested?
Cranberries can be harvested two different ways. The most common harvesting method is wet or water harvest. In wet harvesting, cranberry beds are flooded with water, turning them into “cranberry bogs”. The water allows the air-filled berries to float to the surface. Then, a machine churns the water to loosen them from their vines before collecting and corralling them for delivery. This method is most commonly used for products like juices and sauces.
The second method of harvesting is, naturally, dry harvesting. Unlike wet harvesting, the beds aren’t flooded. Instead, specialized picking machines comb the plants, plucking the tiny berries. The fruit is then loaded into bins to be cleaned, packaged, and shipped. This method is primarily used for fresh berries.
Cranberry Variants
There are two main types of cranberries in Canada: highbush and lowbush. While there is an extensive variety of different sub-cultivars, they fall under one of these two categories. From those two types, they take on four main forms: fresh, frozen, dried, or juiced. Each variant has a distinct flavour, texture, and usage.
Fresh
- Flavour: Tart, tangy, and bright.
- Uses: Delicious in both sweet and savoury dishes, these berries work well in salads, sauces, desserts, and cocktails.
- Storage: Store in the fridge, properly sealed. Only wash just before using.
Frozen
- Flavour: Similar to fresh cranberries, frozen ones are tart, tangy, and bright.
- Uses: Cold dishes like smoothies and sorbets, and sauces, marinades, and baked goods.
- Storage: As their name suggests, store this variant in the freezer for the best flavour and texture.
Dried
- Flavour: Naturally sweet and chewy with a more concentrated, tart flavour.
- Uses: Ideal for salads, baked goods, trail mixes, and grain bowls.
- Storage: Store in a cool, dry place, properly sealed to maintain freshness.
Juiced
- Flavour: Powerfully tangy and tart, especially in beverages with no added sugars.
- Uses: Great in cocktails, mocktails, sauces, dressings, marinades, and as a natural added colour.
- Storage: Store closed containers in a cool, dry area. When opened, store in the fridge.
Health Benefits of Cranberries
Cranberries are known as a superfood with plenty of health benefits. In addition to being a good source of fibre and providing vitamin C and minerals, these little berries also contain phytocompounds. These are chemicals that provide us with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant compounds.
According to The Cranberry Institute, cranberries can also aid heart health, reduce the incidence and recurrence of urinary tract infections, and impact glucose metabolism. So go ahead, spoon up another scoop of cranberry sauce at your holiday meal!
Our Farm Boy Cranberry Picks
Farm Boy™ Cranberry Pecan Orange Brie Bake
Entertaining made easy! For an oven-ready treat that’s hands-off when it comes to hosting, our Brie Bake is a must-try. Our rich, locally crafted Double Cream Brie is the base of this festive appetizer, with a topping of dried cranberries, roasted pecans, orange marmalade, and rosemary. Bake it until ooey-gooey, then serve with your favourite Farm Boy Crackers or Baguette Crisps.
Farm Boy™ White Chocolate Cranberry Scones
Carefully crafted by us in small batches, this is a seasonal product we think you’ll love! These flaky buttermilk scones are the perfect cold-weather treat. Made with luscious white chocolate and sweetened dried cranberries, we recommend warming them up a touch and enjoying as-is or with your favourite Farm Boy™ Fruit-Filled Jam.
Farm Boy™ Fresh Made Cranberry Sauce with Ginger
Get closer to the farm with our cranberry sauce. Made fresh by us with only six ingredients—cranberries, sugar, water, ginger, salt, and cinnamon—it’s tart, juicy, and perfectly spiced. If you’re looking for something that saves you time and energy, during the busy holiday season, let this sauce be the answer.
Farm Boy™ Cranberry Orange Loaf Cake
Any way you slice it, this cake is divine! Baked from scratch by us using wholesome ingredients and our own recipe, this is a festive, fruity twist on our beloved loaf cake. Crafted with our own orange juice and studded with real cranberries, enjoy it as a holiday-inspired dessert with a scoop of seasonal Farm Boy™ Gelato or as a sweet breakfast treat.
Cran-tastic Cranberry Recipes
Holiday Turkey, Brie, and Cranberry Melt
Ingredients: multigrain bread, mayonnaise, turkey, Brie cheese, cranberry apple sausage stuffing, cranberry sauce, turkey gravy.
A classic way to use holiday leftovers, this sandwich is the ultimate post-celebration lunch. We’ve upped the indulgence factor a bit more by using our Double Cream Brie, melted until it’s luxuriously gooey.
Chef’s Tip: For some extra zip, spread your bread with Farm Boy™ Champagne & Honey Mustard. It adds just the right amount of sweetness, tang, and complexity.
Almond Apple Cranberry Crumble
Ingredients: almond flour, arrowroot starch, salt, maple syrup, vanilla, coconut oil, apples, lemon, brown sugar, cinnamon, crystallized ginger, dried cranberries, coarse sugar.
Gluten-free as well as vegan, this fall dessert will satisfy everyone at the table! This crisp recipe uses cinnamon and ginger and has a sweet, crunchy topping and softened—but not mushy—apples.
Chef’s Tip: If you don’t like coconut oil, swap it out for your preferred plant-based butter or spread (or dairy-based butter) using the same measurements.
Sticky Ginger Cakes with Cranberry and Salted Caramel
Ingredients: cranberries, dates, candied ginger, baking soda, water, butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, canola oil, molasses, flour, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, allspice, cinnamon, whipping cream.
This holiday-inspired sticky toffee pudding puts “ A Farm Boy Fresh Twist” on a timeless treat! Perfectly portioned for individual servings, these cakes bake in a muffin tin for effortless elegance. Paired with a salted caramel sauce, they’re just sweet enough.
Chef’s Tip: For an extra festive flair, garnish these sticky ginger cakes with candied cranberries. Pour simple syrup over fresh cranberries and soak for 15 minutes. Remove and place on parchment-lined baking sheet and allow to dry for 1 hour. Toss in granulated sugar and allow to dry again for one hour.
More Cranberry Recipes & Suggestions
Did you know?
- Cranberries – along with concord grapes and blueberries – are native only to North America.
- Early North American Dutch and German settlers thought the cranberry blossom looked like the head of the crane. As such, the berries were initially called “crane berries”.
- Cranberries float in cranberry bogs due to the tiny pockets of air inside them. These air pockets also cause them to bounce!
- The berries were once eaten by sailors to help prevent scurvy on long voyages.
- It takes about 200 cranberries to make one can of cranberry sauce.
