CRANBERRIES

Our cranberries start their lives in a bog. Yes, we know that doesn’t sound like the poshest of addresses but it’s where cranberries like to live – areas in both North and South America with soft, marshy ground and acid peat soil, usually near wetland. They grow on long-running vines. Every autumn from around mid-September until mid-November, they reach their peak colour (turning an amazing vibrant red) and flavour. They are then ready for harvest. Machine harvesters ever so gently tumble roll the crop to allow the berry to detach from the plant, and because the berries float, they can be collected and extracted from the bog using a system of booms and pumps, it’s quite an impressive sight to behold! Our cranberries are then dried, by partially dehydrating, a process similar to making grapes into raisins. When they arrive in New Zealand they are lovingly added to some of our fruit and nut medley’s, providing a tart sweetness. The freshness is then securely locked in with our fresh-lock resealable pouches.