Cranberry season is now underway

(CBS, KYMA) - Cranberry season is now underway, just ahead of the holiday season where the tart berry is featured in many recipes.

Wisconsin typically harvests around 60 percent of the U.S. crop, while in Michigan, just a handful of farmers grow the berries, which are on vines in the ground.

To harvest them, farmers flood their fields and because the berries have air pockets inside them, they float, making them easy to pick.

Fresh cranberries are widely available from October to December. The remainder of the crop is processed into products sold year-round.

According to the National Institutes of Health, cranberries contain antioxidant properties and have many health benefits including help with urinary tract infections.