Cape Cod Cranberries

As we rounded the corner on our favorite route back from Sesuit Harbor in Dennis this fall, Rich and I happened upon a cranberry bog in full harvest. It was one of those rare October days when the sky is impossibly blue, the sun warm, and the primary colors of summer softly waning autumnal. There in the midst of the bog the thrashers were churning slowly back and forth shaking the berries loose. Floating gently on the surface of the water, the fruit glistened in the bright sunshine. A brisk wind guided them slowly towards the edge of the bog. Armed with his brand new SLR camera, Rich felt as if he had hit the motherload of photo ops.

We spent over an hour watching the harvest, talking with the farmers, and taking pictures knowing that our guests would be interested in learning as much as we could share with them about the humble cranberry. So, here in a nutshell, is our newfound wealth of knowledge about Cape Cod cranberries and harvesting.

Famous for its tartness and beautiful color, the cranberry is an essential part of Thanksgiving, as well as Cape Cod’s namesake cocktail. Cranberries are big business here on Cape Cod as well as many parts of southeastern Massachusetts. The cranberry industry in Massachusetts does about $200 million in revenue annually and employs 5,600 people. One tenth of the cranberries grown in the state are grown here on Cape Cod. The world-famous Ocean Spray factory is located in Plymouth and has tours for the public.

Native Americans living on the cool, northern areas of North America showed early settlers how to pick the ibimi (their word) which grew wild in bogs. The settlers called them “Crane-berries” because their blossoms resembled the heads of cranes, and the berries were a valuable source of vitamin C, used by sailors to prevent scurvy The tart-tasting cranberry rendered the drab, gamey diet of colonial people palatable in the winter months.

Because cranberries require constant moisture, a bog, which is a spongy, low lying wetland that holds water and is full of ancient decayed vegetation, makes a fertile and moist natural habitat for cranberries. Water draining from adjoining ponds and lakes provides protection against frost for the young vines, which begin their annual cycle in early spring.

Today, commercial growers create bogs from appropriate areas by scraping off top brush, replacing it with sand, and planting young vines. The cranberries are ripe for harvest September through October. There are two ways to harvest cranberries: dry and wet. In a dry harvest, a machine that also trims the plants is rolled along the bogs, collecting berries, which are stored in large crates Then a helicopter lifts the crates off the bogs so as not to damage next year’s buds, which are already forming.

In a wet harvest, the bogs are flooded. A wide-tired machine called a water reel moves through the bog and beats the water, knocking the berries off the vines. Then, workers assemble miles of yellow tubing, called a boom, that corrals the berries into a conveyer belt .

While on your visit here, try some of the many products made with cranberries and/or observe a cranberry harvest. The Cranberry Harvest Festival in Harwich, usually held in mid-September, is a week-long celebration of this humble but tasty fruit, including food booths, music, crafts, a pancake breakfast, and fireworks. Here at the high Pointe Inn we serve Cranberry Vanilla jam made by the Chatham Jam and Jelly Shop in season. It is perfect with Rich’s homemade popovers and biscuits.

Fascinating Factoids

•    Each acre of planted cranberries, in accordance with Massachusetts law, must be surrounded by four acres of wetlands.
•    The variety grown by most growers on the Cape is early black, which although is it the most costly and difficult variety to grow, provides a rich, dark color to the juice.
•    Cranberries are also grown in Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, and New Jersey.

Off-the Beaten Path: The Backroads and Breadmakers of Cape Cod

For a real taste of Cape Cod the average visitor will need some Innsider Innformation. It’s not just all sand dunes and salty air on this remote sand spit that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. Cape Codders are hardy stock, hardscrabble folks who have learned how to eek out a paycheck using all sorts of local resources and creative enterprise. Cape Cod is populated with artists, writers, and entrepreneurs of all ilks. You’ll find organic farmers, natural soap makers, herbalists, brewers, wine makers, bread bakers, chocolatiers, jewelry makers, and folks who do all sorts of things with cranberries. Many of these creative and enterprising people have achieved success locally and regionally with their products, and in some cases, nationally. If you want to sample the real Cape Cod, seek out products that are made here. Some of our favorites include:

Cape Cod Potato Chips: Made in Hyannis, but known world wide, and deservedly so; they are Rich’s favorite chips. Offering free tours of the Cape Cod Potato Chip factory on Breed’s Hill Road between 9 AM and 5 PM daily, Monday through Friday. You may also call them at (508) 775-3358 or look them up on the web at www.capecodchips.com

Barnstable Bat Company: Makers of the bat used by the Cape Cod Baseball League as well as some major league teams. Made of white northern ash, the bats bear the Cape Cod logo and start at around $40 for an adult bat and $30 for a youth bat. For $5 more you can get it personalized. The company opened in 1992 and is located at 40 Pleasant Pines Avenue in Centerville. The showroom is open Monday through Friday and some weekends in summer. Telephone (508) 362-8046 to request a brochure. You can also visit  their website at www.barnstablebat.com.

Cape Cod Metal Polishing Cloths: Famous the world over, these cleaning clothes were developed by an antique brass restorer living in Dennis, MA. The clothes are packaged in a distinctive tin and sold nationwide, and in Canada and Europe. For more information and store locations, call (508) 385-5099 or check them out at www.capecodpolish.com. Most hardware stores the Cape carry them.

Cape Cod Lavender Farm: Follow the signs from 124 in Harwich to a little oasis down a long windy dirt drive for an olfactory adventure you won’t soon forget. Here on this family-run lavender farm, are handmade soaps, oils, lotions and candles, all scented with lavender grown on the premises. If you can’t get there, call (508) 432-8397 for a brochure; or order online at www.capecodlavenderfarm.com.

Arts & Artisans Trails

In 2006, the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Economic Development Council, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and several others, released the first printing of the Arts & Artisans Trails, a guidebook featuring over 200 of the region’s finest artists located along seven defined itineraries that crisscross the byways and backroads of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.

The seven itineraries contained in the guide feature drives and walks to almost 200 stops.

Rough maps guide you around each trail, with starting points and a route that seemed logical to the editors. The first five trails are on Cape Cod, and a good map of Cape Cod is a handy thing to have with you, as are maps for both islands. The seven trails are identified by location and include:

Shining Sea Trail – Upper Cape

Old King‘s Highway Trail – Mid Cape

String of Ports Trail -Lower Cape

Sea Captain‘s Trail – Lower Cape

Great Dunes Trail – Outer Cape

Grey Lady Trail -Nantucket

Moshup‘s Trail – Martha’s Vineyard

Some of the artists can be accessed from bike trails and via shuttles in the summer. Walks to galleries in the harbor towns make a nice day trip. In the quiet seasons (November to April) it’s easy to drive the routes. Most stops are on or near major roads, and many of the artists open their studios year-round. Artists with regular hours all year are noted in the book. Others are open by appointment, which is also noted. If you visit in the winter, be aware that some sole proprietors take vacation in the slow season, and it would be wise to call ahead to check their hours.

We keep a copy of the Arts & Artisans Trails Guidebook in each guest room for your use while you are here. Or, you can purchase the guidebook from our Inn’s gift shop, at local bookstores on the Cape and Islands; at the Cape Cod Chamber Visitor Center, located at the junction of Routes 6 and 132 in Hyannis; or online at http://www.capecodchamber.org/store/Product.asp?pid=26.