Blackberries are a bramble fruit within the family, Rosaceae, along with strawberries and raspberries. The name Blackberry is often used as a generic term that refers to a wide range of bush berries that are considered blackberries. These include Loganberries, Boysenberries, Marionberries and Ollalieberries. Anthocyanins are responsible for their dark purple pigmentation. In nature, the pigment is a natural attractor of the attention of animals. Animals eat the fruits and disperse the seeds, keeping the life cycle alive.

Blackberries are characterized by their coloring, their unique composition and their flavor. Like raspberries, blackberries are not actually a berry, rather an aggregate fruit with individual drupelets that are held together by very fine, nearly invisible hairs. When ripe, blackberries have a deep ink sheen with purple highlights. They are succulent and soft, with a melting quality. Their flavoring is warmly sweet, slightly tart with notes of earth.

Serving Ideas

Fresh blackberries' sweet-tart flavors and earthiness can lend itself to several applications: sweet, savory, cooked, raw, whole, mashed, pureed, muddled, preserved, even pickled. Blackberries can be utilized in savory applications alongside fresh, creamy and aged cheeses, sausages, pork, lamb and within fresh salads. Complimentary ingredients include pistachios, pine nuts, almonds, other bramble berries, aged balsamic vinegar, salad greens such as butter lettuce and arugula, apples, fresh and dried figs, fennel, bacon and basil.

Geography/History

Blackberries are considered to be the most taxonomically complex of any fruit crop. It is native to both the New and Old world. Blackberries are native to Asia, Europe, North and South America. The species, R. ursinus is native to the Pacific Northwest, and it has produced a long lineage of commercial cultivars grown in North America. In Europe, there are 6 species that are referred to as the aggregate species R. fruticosus. Blackberries are cultivated throughout the world, yet they are also considered an invasive species in some regions as their roots run deep, clinging to the earth, while strangling any roots in their path.

Seasons/Availability

Blackberries are available year round with a peak season in summer.