There are two types of cranberry harvesting: wet and dry.  Water is used to harvest the cranberries that are used to make processed products like juice, sauce and sweetened dried cranberries.  The beds are flooded with water and machines with spinning water reels on front are driven through the beds, which knock the berries loose from the vines. Because the berries have four hollow chambers, they float to the surface, where they are corralled and pumped out of the bed and into trucks.

Fresh cranberries are harvested with little or no water. The machine used to pick fresh cranberries gently combs the vines and pulls the berries off the vines. This process minimizes the amount of impact, thereby minimizing bruising of the fruit and ensuring premium quality fresh cranberries. Check out the pictures in the photo gallery to see dry-picking of fresh cranberries.