When Are Highbush Cranberries Ripe?

Ripeness

• The highbush cranberry ripens in the late summer or early fall, depending on weather conditions and climate. The berries ripen before autumn's first frosts. Fruits mature at just under 1/2 inch in diameter and have a bright red color. The berries hold to the shrub even after frost if they're not harvested or eaten by birds.

Harvest

• The most common harvest is after the first frost of fall. Frost improves the sweetness of the berry, and the freezing process softens the texture of the berry. Some growers do not harvest the berries, and leave the fruit on the shrub to add color to the winter landscape and provide forage for wild birds.

Blooms

• Clusters of small white flowers form each spring. While the flowers are small, the clusters can be as large as 4 inches across. As the blooms mature, the fruit forms and matures throughout the summer.

Uses

• Growers and wild fruit gathers produce jellies and sauces from the highbush cranberry. The fruit is also consumed fresh off the bush in the field, usually after the frost of the fall. Native Americans use the syrup for cough and cold medicines. Medicinal applications of highbush cranberry extend to the bark of the shrub, which is used for constipation and cold treatments.