FoodFood InformationFruitBerries
The blackberry, like the raspberry, is a bramble fruit. It is a member
of the heath family. One of the theories used by scientists to support the
belief that North America and Europe were originally one land mass is the
fact that wild blackberries are native to both continents yet the distance
across the Atlantic is too wide for the seeds to have been scattered by
the birds or by wind.
In climates that are ideal for blackberries to flourish, they will grow
like weeds if left unchecked. Not too long ago, unattended blackberries
could be found growing at random along the roadsides of rural areas in America's
northern states. In some areas they are known as dew berries.
Today, blackberries are grown commercially on a large scale in the Pacific
Northwest, Michigan, and New Jersey. They are also produced in many other
states on a much smaller scale. Most of the blackberry crop is sold to commercial
processors and made into jams, jellies, syrups, and liquors.
There are two types of blackberries: those that grow on arched canes and
those that grow along the ground. Both types are similar in flavor, color,
and texture. There are some hybrid blackberries that are grown on the West
Coast. These are much larger than the original blackberries, and usually
lighter in color and not quite as acid. Some of these hybrid varieties include
boysenberries, loganberries, and youngberries. These are more fragile than
the true blacks. They are as delicate as raspberries and their seeds aren't
quite as hard as those of true blackberries. Some hybrids are almost seedless.
Blackberries are in season from May to October, with the peak in June and
July. During the winter months a very limited supply is flown in from the
Southern Hemisphere.
While the true blackberries aren't quite as fragile as raspberries or the
hybrid blackberries, they still have to be treated as highly perishable
and should be kept under constant refrigeration. Even if they are in perfect
condition at the time of purchase, they have a shelf life of two to three
days at best. Very often the blackberries offered in the marketplace are
far from perfect.
So check them out carefully prior to making a purchase, especially those
that are sold in full-pint baskets as opposed to shallow half-pint trays.
If they are soft, wet, stuck together, or show any trace of mildew, you'll
probably have to discard more than you can salvage.
While the hybrids can range in color from violet to a reddish purple, the
ideal color for the true blackberries is a jet black. As these blackberries
ripen on the cane they go from green to red and only to black when fully
ripe. The blacker the blackberry, the better the flavor.