This little red berry, which is emblematic of Quebec, is the result of a harvest process that requires effort and maintenance each season. From summer to spring, Fruit d’Or growers work on their fields to provide you with natural and organic berries of the highest quality.
To better understand the cranberry harvest season and process in Quebec, Fruit d’Or explains its major steps to you!
Increased attention all year round
To ensure an optimal crop in the fall, our teams work on the cranberry fields each season:
- In the winter: We flood our cranberry fields to protect the buds from the cold.
- In the spring: This season involves a significant amount of maintenance, fertilization, and monitoring work. By doing so, we protect the fields from insect pests and weeds.
- In the summer: The flowering season begins. Domestic and natural pollinators join in the efforts to prepare for the arrival of the berries during the following season.
- In the fall: Once the fruits turn from white to ruby red, cranberry growers start harvesting the fresh cranberries.
The cranberry wet harvest in the context of Quebec
In Quebec, the cranberry harvesting season usually runs from late September to late October. As the berries are sensitive to the cold, we flood our fields again to protect them from frost. The fields are also watered during the harvest season. This is where we get the iconic images of cranberries in water. Since the fruit naturally floats, this wet harvesting technique allows us to crop the cranberries more easily. With the help of a thresher, we stir up the water, which loosens the fruit, which then rises to the surface. The berries are then collected and sent to our sorting centre. There, they will be washed and prepared for their various uses.
Fruit d’Or: your organic cranberry producer for more than 20 years
By following strict organic production and farming standards, our cranberry farmers constantly innovate our practices to improve the quality of our fruit. In a spirit of cultivation that respects our environment, our farms adopt advanced harvesting, maintenance, and drying processes to preserve the natural flavours and benefits of our cranberries.
In addition, we constantly optimize our practices to adopt sustainable agriculture. From meticulous water management to weeding and field maintenance methods, we work with nature to offer it a fulfilling environment.
From our fields to your businesses
Do you want to allow your customers to benefit from our cranberry harvesting methods? Our cranberries and other berries are available in all their forms! Dried, frozen, juiced, or fresh berries… Take advantage of all the virtues and versatility of our berries, which have been harvested with care and respect in Quebec!
It’s the simple everyday things that make our berries so tender, tasty, healthy and give them the perfect texture. Each parcel of land we farm with care and respect. Each weed we pull by hand. Each extra day we wait to ensure crops are harvested at peak ripeness. Each minute saved between field and freezer. Each berry perfectly preserved. Each unwanted substance detected and eliminated. And each delicious bite our customers enjoy.
