Trailing, vertical, thorny, and thornless are the main types. Most blackberries grown in the Midwest are vertical, thornlesss.
Select blackberries that are shiny. Avoid bruised, leaking, smashed, or dented berries.
Blackberries are different from black raspberries! They taste different and blackberries have a solid center, while raspberries are hollow when picked.
Blackberries can be eaten raw and cooked. They are ready to eat raw after washing thoroughly; however, only wash what you are going to immediately eat, as washed blackberries begin to degrade quickly.
Stove Top: You can make blackberries into a quick and easy sauce for desserts. Add 2 cups of blackberries to a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water, and a quarter cup of sugar. Cook berries over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the berries begin to break down. You can use this sauce hot or cold. You can easily add other summer berries (like red raspberries or blueberries) to this sauce. You may want to strain some or all the seeds from the sauce. This step isn’t necessary can easily do this with a wire strainer, pushing the sauce through with a wooden spoon.
Baked: You can bake blackberries into pies, crumbles, crisps, and many other desserts. Generally you them to the recipe raw, along with sugar and a thickening agent (like flour or cornstarch), and then bake.
Berries don’t have to be refrigerated, but we advise you to store them in the refridgerator, since berries attract fruit flies very quickly when left on the counter. Do not wash before storing.
To extend the life of your stored blackberries, draw very hot water from the tap (about 120°F) and soak your blackberries for 1 minute in the hot water. Drain, rinse in cold water, and dry on a cloth. Once dry, store in the refrigerator. This method kills bacteria that causes the berries to degrade.
Blackberries can be frozen or canned.
To freeze whole blackberries, pick over the berries and discard any that are spoiling or have insect damage. Lay the berries single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet and freeze overnight. Pack the frozen berries into freezer bags and use within 6 to 8 months.
Learn more about freezing blackberries.
Learn more about canning whole berries.
Studies show that, per serving, blackberries have one of the highest antioxidant contents of any food tested.
|
Serving Size |
1 Cup (144g) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nutrients |
Amount |
% Daily Value |
|
Total Calories |
62 |
|
|
Protein |
2g |
|
|
Carbohydrates |
14g |
|
|
Dietary Fiber |
8g |
|
|
Total Sugars |
7g |
|
|
Total Fat |
1g |
1% |
|
Saturated Fat |
0g |
0% |
|
Cholesterol |
0mg |
0% |
|
|
|
|
|
Minerals |
|
|
|
Calcium |
42 mg |
|
|
Sodium |
1mg |
|
|
Iron |
|
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
Vitamins |
|
|
|
Vitamin A |
16 ug |
|
|
Vitamin C |
30 mg |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Always keep fresh produce away from raw meat and raw meat juices to prevent cross-contamination.
Follow the safe food guidelines for all fresh produce.
Scan the QR code below to view this page on your mobile device.