Berry season is magical. But it’s also full of questions. We’re all wondering when our favorite berry is going to be available and for how long. It’s like having a beloved friend in town who keeps hinting that they may leave at any moment. To make this magical time a little more transparent, we’re shedding some light on which berries are going into Imperfect boxes and why.
Strawberries
After a wet winter, the recent warm start to spring kickstarted our strawberry season. You’ll see a bunch of strawberries on the market early this year. So start gathering all your favorite strawberry recipes like this Refreshing Strawberry Basil Lemonade.
Blueberries
A recent cold snap in California set our blueberry growers back. Plants stop ripening when it gets too cold, so right now there are remarkably few blueberries ready to harvest. One of our Santa Maria growers reported that in a harvest where they normally expect 30,000 pounds, only 15,000 were available to pick. So while we’ve got some blueberries now, you can expect more and lower prices in late May and early June.
Blackberries
While the Central California blackberry crop is just waking up from its winter nap, the Central Mexican season is well underway, and so we’ve been getting large, ripe blackberries from south of the border for a few weeks now. The berry season supply will only increase once Californian growers start harvesting.
If you need blackberries for that Memorial Day pie, we’ve got your back. If you’d prefer to wait until blackberries are available more locally, wait a few weeks until the domestic season starts in earnest. Either way, you’re in for a lot of blackberries once June arrives.
6 Comments
Vee Aye
May 22, 2018 at 4:19 pmI didn’t see ANY berries available this week. Are they coming next week? Or did I miss them?
Reilly Brock
May 22, 2018 at 5:55 pmHey Vee! Thanks for letting us know. We’re sorry that you couldn’t get any berries when you checked. They may have sold out or might not be in your city yet. Keep an eye out next week and let us know what you can see when you go to customize your box.
Lori Parker
May 31, 2018 at 5:58 pmBecause berries, particularly strawberries which again tops the Environmental Working Group’s "Dirty Dozen" list for the third year in a row as the produce covered with the most pesticide residue, I heartily recommend sticking with organic berries. It is virtually impossible to rid these delicate fruits from pesticides by washing them, regardless of the cleanser you might employ.
-PEACE-
Reilly Brock
May 31, 2018 at 6:06 pmThanks for sharing this recommendation, Lori!
Lori Parker
May 31, 2018 at 6:07 pmOkay, like I said, it is virtually impossible to rid berries of pesticides because they absorb the poisons. That said, if you are interested in a homemade recipe for cleaning produce and even extending its fresh-life, I suggest the one I found on http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/homemade-vegetable-wash-preserver-that-works-spray-or-soak-300387#activity-feed
NOTE: You can substitute white vinegar for the lemon juice in the spray version if lemon juice isn’t handy.
I hope this is helpful to you. -PEACE-
Reilly Brock
May 31, 2018 at 8:19 pmThank you for sharing this tip!