Blackberry Fruit Flavorful Naturally Sweet

Nutritious Blackberry Fruit

Blackberry fruit is a delicious edible fruit produced by many species in the genus Rubus in the family of Rosaceae hybrids.  Berry fruit has been well studied as they contain the best dietary sources of bioactive compounds especially abundant in highly colored berries that benefit health.  Scientific evidence suggests the role of anthocyanins combined with flavonoids may prevent disease. Anthocyanins is the pigment that gives blackberries a dark violet hue, vegetables, and red fruit color. 

Blackberries are consumed worldwide eaten in raw form or used in favorite popular recipes including low calorie versions for the perpetual dieter, sugar free blackberry jam, fruit roll up, blackberry pie with almond crust, smoothies. Berries can be classically preserved or frozen for future use. Cultivated Blackberries are recognized as a significant dietary fiber source, vitamin K, vitamin C, one half cup of blackberries contains 31 calories per serving, 0,35g fat, 6.92g carbs, 1g protein.

Gardeners Delight Blackberry Fruit

Growing blackberries is an easy process for any gardener who wants to harvest a bounty of fruit. All blackberries are perennials, a plant that lives for more than two years. Blackberry perennial roots continue to live year after year, however, the top of the plant will be biennial meaning the canes above the ground will grow vegetatively for one year, bear fruit the next year than die. Every year the plant shoots up new canes to replace those that died.  Once this native berry is ripe get ready for an abundant harvest picking blackberries every couple of days.

The Marionberry ( Rubus L subgenus Rubus) is a cultivar of the blackberry developed by the USDA ARS breeding program in collaboration with Oregon State University. A cross between the Olallie and Chehalem varieties. It accounts for over half of all blackberries produced in Oregon.  It is the most common form of cultivated blackberry. Oregon produces 28 million to 33 million pounds annually with Marion County and the Willamette Valley accounts for 90 percent of the production.

The berries ripen through late spring well into early summer.  The harvesting season is typically between July 10 and August 10 with a single acre producing up to 6 tons in a harvest. The Marionberry is well adapted to the maritime Oregon climate with its warm summers and mild rains produce a berry somewhat tart in flavor, fairly earthy with traces of natural sweetness. It is larger, sweeter, and juicier compared to the Evergreen blackberry, a spice of Rubus native Eurasia. 

It is an introduced species in Australia and North America.  The Boysenberry hybrid variety in Australia called Silvanberry is classified under the blackberry family and shares many similar characteristics commonly found in other blackberry varieties.

These plants are easy to grow, long living 15-20 year perennials considered hardy, cold tolerant, productive spreaders. Each blackberry plant can produce 20 pounds of fruit so four to six plants can produce ample berries for a family of four. Depending on the region they are grown in, blackberries are generally in season from June until September.

Cheers!

Patricia Lynn

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