Have you ever had a refreshing and tart glass of cranberry juice? If you haven’t had the juice, maybe you’ve enjoyed a cranberry sauce or cocktail before.
Regardless of how you’ve had them, or if you had them at all, cranberries are the go-to berry when most people are looking for a sour or tart experience. There are even studies that shows cranberries have the added health benefit of reducing your risk of UTIs.
But where are cranberries grown? This is a question tons of people don’t know the answer to, so we’ll clarify the answer for you in this post.
Where are Cranberries Grown?
Unlike many other types of crops, cranberries aren’t grown in a large number of locales. Instead, the world’s cranberry supply comes from just a few countries: Canada, Chile, and the United States.
Within these countries, there are a few specific locations where cranberry crops are cultivated. Cranberries are grown in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec.
In the United States, you’ll find cranberries grown in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington.
Read Also: What Does Cranberry Juice Taste Like?
Where are Most of the Cranberries Grown?
The United States grows the most cranberries in the world. To get even more specific, Wisconsin grows the majority of cranberries, contributing 65% of the supply in the US.
Canada is the runner-up, but still produces less than half the cranberries that the United States does. In Canada, most cranberries come from Quebec.
Read Also: Is Cranberry Sauce Vegan?
Where are Cranberries Originally From?
Many foods are originally from outside the US, and end up getting brought there for commercial production eventually. This is not true with cranberries.
Cranberries actually come from North America originally, in the region we now know as New England. It is believed that the Narragansett people brought cranberries to the attention of Massachusetts colonies back in the sixteenth century.
Also Read: Where are Avocados Grown?
Are Cranberries Grown in the Water?
A common misconception about cranberries is that they’re grown in water year-round. People often imagine vast ponds and lakes filled with the floating red berries and assume this is the norm.
Although flooding is used in cranberry cultivation, the cranberries are not flooded constantly. For most of the year, they’re grown in fields with borders around the perimeter that prevent water from escaping. Through irrigation, the soil is kept moist, but it is not always flooded.
Also Read: Where are Mangoes Grown?
Farmers will sometimes flood the cranberry fields when they’re ready to harvest, because cranberries float. They then shake the cranberries loose from vines with water reels and scoop them up.
This method is called wet harvesting. It’s just easier to gather all the cranberries that way.
Also Read: Where are Pomegranates Grown?
Wrap Up
The vegan lifestyle is all about knowing where your food comes from. This doesn’t just apply to animal byproducts, though – we think it’s also important to understand how our plants are grown.
A surprising amount of ingenuity goes into every single food on our plate or in our drinks. The next time you sip on some cranberry juice, you’ll know how the cranberries inside it were cultivated and where they came from.
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
