ISO...frozen organic berries

I've found frozen berries, and I've found organic berries, but never the twain shall meet, it seems.

I've been on a pie- and cobbler-making jag these days, set off by a bag of organic frozen blackberries that arrived in my Fresh Picks box. They made the most excellent pie, hardly needing any sugar at all, but I haven't had as much luck since. The berries I have found are either still a touch too bitter, or else come pre-sweetened in the freezer case (ick).

So where can I find these precious jewels?

Have you looked for Cascadian Farms frozen berries? They are at Whole Foods and I would think at large supermarkets like Jewel as well. They are organic (althought the company is owned by General Mills).

I buy 3 lb. bags of frozen organic triple-berry mix at Costco (blueberry, raspberry, and I think marionberry). They also have frozen organic blueberries, and strawberries, though I'm not sure whether those are organic. I think the bag of triple-berry mix runs about $10.99.

I find them in my freezer, where I preserved them last year after buying them at the farmer's markets.

I realize that doesn't help now, but it won't be that long before it would help, if you start now. Few ways of having really good local stuff all through the year could be easier than getting a vacuum sealer and freezing your own.

This has been a public service announcement of the Homemade Pie Council.

Mike G wrote:I find them in my freezer, where I preserved them last year after buying them at the farmer's markets.

I realize that doesn't help now, but it won't be that long before it would help, if you start now. Few ways of having really good local stuff all through the year could be easier than getting a vacuum sealer and freezing your own.

This has been a public service announcement of the Homemade Pie Council.

Do you freeze separately on a tray first before they go in the vacuum bags?

If I wanted blueberries whole for some other purpose, I would; and since I probably should want blueberries for some other purpose than pie, I probably should.

Since my main focus has been for pies, though, I haven't worried about the fact that both freezing and squeezing will smoosh them a bit in the vacuum bag.

We also buy in bulk at the farmers markets and then freeze. Last summer we also picked about 2.5 pounds of wild blueberries in the UP, which is even nicer. When we freeze blueberries we put them in the freezer for an hour or so and then into the foodsaver. The results are just fine for blueberry pancakes (their most common use), sorbet, pie, etc.

At the Green City Market the past few weeks, Seedling has had bags of frozen blueberries from last year's crop on sale. I believe I also saw frozen blueberries from Seedling at the Downtown Farmstand on Randolph.

there really is no need to freeze blueberries on a tray first and then transfer to bags. They won't stick together if you just put them directly into freezer bags and it saves you a lot of work.

Well, with a vacuum sealer you'd want to freeze them first for any use besides pie, ice cream etc., because it will crush them (or just about any other fruit) to a certain extent.

there really is no need to freeze blueberries on a tray first and then transfer to bags. They won't stick together if you just put them directly into freezer bags and it saves you a lot of work

.

I agree. I never vacuum seal them either and just use a freezer bag. I've successfully done this with blueberries, gooseberries and currants. It might make sense to indivudally freeze a softer berry, something like an extremely ripe blackberry.

Mike G wrote:Well, with a vacuum sealer you'd want to freeze them first for any use besides pie, ice cream etc., because it will crush them (or just about any other fruit) to a certain extent.

Can you recommend a good vacuum sealer?

Can you recommend a good vacuum sealer?

We bought a Foodsaver years ago at Costco and it's given us good service since. The model appears to be VAC1075 Elite, but no doubt this particular one is now unavailable with the passage of time.

Jewels new in-house organic lable has a few different frozen berry options.

Of course, I'm blanking on the label, is it Wild Harvest?

I know they have strawberries and blueberries, but not sure how many others are available.

Whole Foods and Trader Joes both have frozen organic berries (unsweetened). TJ usually has blueberries and strawberries, sometimes raspberries. WF generally has all of the above and blackberries.

I saw Cascadian Farms berries last night at Devon Market, but they were $6 for a tiny bag - I'd need two for a pie. Is that what they cost?

Need to get to TJs, their berries can't possibly be that pricey.

rickster wrote:

there really is no need to freeze blueberries on a tray first and then transfer to bags. They won't stick together if you just put them directly into freezer bags and it saves you a lot of work

.

I agree. I never vacuum seal them either and just use a freezer bag. I've successfully done this with blueberries, gooseberries and currants. It might make sense to indivudally freeze a softer berry, something like an extremely ripe blackberry.

I too have kept frozen berries in a plain old freezer bag for a full year with no discernable negative effect. Just make sure they are completely dry when the go in. No washing.