As you know by now, we love our dried fruits. Luckily, so do the people we work with too. This is what allows us to provide you with a great selection of fruits all year round. Tasty!
In this growers story, we dive deep in to the wetlands of Quebec to show you how our cranberries are cared for and nurtured by mother nature, before they reach your beautiful bakes…
In northern Quebec temperatures, the winter months struggle to get above freezing – these are harsh winters! Freezing conditions didn’t stop Crazy Jack’s Technical Director Jamie Chambers plunging waist deep into a cranberry bog while on a visit to our organic cranberry supplier.
Jamie explains; “Visiting the origin of our products really is the best way to strengthen our partnerships with our growers, making sure we continue to put the best quality fruit we can into Crazy Jack bags.
Organic cranberries must grow in soil that has a lower pH than conventional crop. This naturally controls insects that would attack the plants and their fruit without the need for pesticides. The choice of fruit variety is also important – organic growing methods require a slower maturing, hardier fruit with a slightly thicker skin to help prevent attacks from moulds and fungus.”
The cranberry crop cycle begins in late April when the foliage starts to regrow. During May the plant’s canopy is tight and naturally suppresses weeds to prevent the need to apply herbicides.
Flowering commences late June and at this point honeybees are brought onto the farm to pollinate the crop. Organic cranberry yields are significantly lower than those grown using conventional methods, so the bees make excellent insurance for securing a good yield.
The fruit matures until it is ready for harvest which takes place during the months of October and November for the organic crop. The fruit is removed from the plant by machine and the area is flooded. The cranberry has natural air pockets inside allowing the fruits to float. The fruit is then sucked up, transported to the plant for processing and packing before finding it’s way on to the shelves.
You can find this tasty baking ingredient in all good independent health food retailers or online at Ocado.com. To find out more about our Cranberries, visit our products page.
