Time to Pick the Cranberries

Columbus Day seems to be a great time to pick wild cranberries; they seem to be fully ripened or nearly so every year at that time.  Since today is a holiday for me, I made my annual pilgrimage to the nearest bog in search of my favorite ruby-colored fruit – cranberries!  Read more about this unique native fruit.

My destination – a bog

After meandering for a while, I at last spied my first gem –

First one – a single Large Cranberry fruit.

Thankfully, I began to find a number of clusters of Large Cranberry fruit and Small Cranberry fruit.  Without moving my feet, I picked 64 of the smaller-fruited species in one of the clusters I came across!

Cluster of Large Cranberry fruit

Biggest Large Cranberry I’ve ever found!

And other beautiful red fruit –

Fruit of Smooth Winterberry – NOT edible!

And something altogether different –

British Soldier Lichen

Also came across some native fauna –

Black and Yellow Garden Spider

Read more about this common large spider.

After 3 hours of wandering and picking, I headed for home with my bounty.

My bounty = 8 cups

Wondering what to do with your berries?  Give these recipes a try –

Wild Cranberry Sauce

Wild Wild Cranberries

10 Things to do with Fresh Cranberries

Frozen Cranberry Mousse

Cranberry and Orange Relish

And, here are a few Cranberry Cooking Tips.  Bon appetit!

Happy trails!