Blackberries

Commodity Overview

Blackberries continue to grow in popularity, so make blackberries a part of a larger, well-stocked berry category to let their growing popularity work for you. Give blackberries extra space on your display and consider a secondary display near the bagged salads during peak season.

PLUs

4239 regular

Retail Price Data is based on USDA Specialty Crops Market News surveys. Data collection ends on the report date and encompasses ad pricing good from the Saturday before the report release date through the following Friday. Weekly data - from over 400 retailers, comprising more than 30,000 individual stores with online weekly advertised features - covers over 250 produce items. Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

USDA Specialty Crops Market News publishes FOB and Movement data on a daily and weekly basis. Pricing and volume information is aggregated by commodity and published weekly, subject to any source-data adjustments. Commodity data is further processed based on origin (domestic vs imports) and type (regular vs. organic). Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

Facts

Blackberries are disease fighters. They contain ellagic acid, which can fight both viruses and bacteria. They also contain high levels of antioxidants, which make them great at fighting cancer. The tannin found in blackberries helps to reduce inflammation in the intestines.
Blackberries fight wrinkles by promoting the tightening of skin.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the following nutrient content descriptors for blackberries: low-fat, saturated fat-free, sodium-free, cholesterol-free, high in fiber, high in vitamin C and a good source of folate.

Sales Strategies

Blackberries make a great snack, but they are often used in baked goods and fruit salads. Cross-promote them with bananas, peaches and other fruit salad items, pie crusts, cobbler ingredients and applesauce or apples.
Promote blackberries throughout the year when you have them in stock, but pay special attention to them during peak season.
Fall: Include blackberries in back-to-school displays, promoting them as a kid-favorite in the lunch bag.
Winter: Blackberries are out of season in winter, but you may have some supplies. Promote them as a tasty addition to holiday fruit salads.
Spring: Include blackberries in a berry patch display and promotion along with strawberries and blueberries. As strawberry prices come down in the spring, consumers will be looking for other berries as well.
Summer: Summer is when blackberries hit their stride. Promote them heavily around the summertime holidays when a blackberry cobbler is a sought-after summertime treat. Promote blackberries as a fun topping for a summer ice cream sundae.
Include blackberries in any health-related promotions as they provide plenty of nutrients and health-related benefits.
Be ready when supplies increase and put blackberries on ad. You’ll attract consumers who won’t normally buy the berries because of their higher price.

Dynamic Displays

The blackberry display is one that needs to be checked frequently. Nothing turns consumers off like a clamshell full of moldy berries. Keep an eye on your product and remove questionable product immediately.
Clamshells protect the blackberries from damage and your customers from injury from falling on loose berries on the floor. Stock several sizes of clamshells to meet all your consumers’ needs.
Blackberries are available most of the year, but peak season with promotable supplies is short. Give blackberries extra space on your display and consider a secondary display near the bagged salads during peak season.

Food Service

Blackberries are a great addition to breakfast. Include them on yogurt bars and offer them as a filling in fresh fruit crepes.
Include blackberries on salad bars, in salads and as part of a fruit side dish.
Blackberry cobbler makes a great seasonal offering that plays on consumers’ childhood memories of summer.
Liven up your children’s offerings by creating a blackberry applesauce by adding blackberry puree to applesauce.

In the Backroom

Shipping
Master shipping containers, 12 6-oz. clamshells RPC 6409, 6411 Consumer packs Usual retail containers are the 6-oz. clamshell or half-pint. Oregon, Texas, California and Washington provide the bulk of supplies with limited acreage on a line from Maine to Michigan.

Grades
U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2

Handling
Berries with caps attached may be immature. Good-quality product will be bright, clean and fresh with good color and plumpness. Overripe berries are dull, soft and sometimes leaky – indicated by stained containers. Temperature: 32 to 34 F, 0 to 1 C Relative humidity: 90-95% Mist: no Typical shelf life: 2 to 3 days Highly sensitive to freezing injury

Equivalents

1⁄2 pint = about 1 cup 1⁄2 pint = about 8 oz. 1⁄2 pint = 16.8 cubic inches

Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. HQ

Overview (27) (1) (21)

Business Type:

Grower, Shipper, Importer, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Miami, 33134 Florida

Berries:

Blackberries

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Grapes, Pears

Melons:

Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon

Stone Fruit:

Cherries, Nectarines, Peaches

Matrana's Produce Inc

Overview (3) (9) (9)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Westwego, 70094 Louisiana

Berries:

Blackberries, Raspberries

Citrus:

Oranges

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Grapes, Pears

Melons:

Watermelon, Specialty Melons

Stone Fruit:

Apricots

Tropical Fruit:

Bananas

T Castro Produce

Overview (3) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Chicago, 60609-3342 Illinois

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges

Lewis Nursery and Farms Inc

Overview (3) (0) (1)

Business Type:

Grower, Shipper, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Rocky Point, 28457 North Carolina

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Strawberries

Cooking Vegetables:

Squash, Summer, Squash, Winter

Salad Vegetables:

Cucumbers

Pure Fresh LLC

Overview (0) (0) (1)

Business Type:

Exporter, Importer

Location HQ:

Pompano Beach, 33069 Florida

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries

Salad Vegetables:

Peppers, Mini Sweet

Organic Produce:

Organic Beans, Organic Blackberries

Cooking Vegetables:

Haricots Verts

James Desiderio Inc

Overview (4) (0) (12)

Business Type:

Broker, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Buffalo, 14206 New York

Deciduous Fruit:

Grapes

Cooking Vegetables:

Mushrooms, Potatoes

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Gold Raspberries, Red Raspberries, Strawberries

Calhoun Produce Inc

Overview (4) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Grower, Shipper, Retailer, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Ashburn, 31714 Georgia

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Strawberries

Melons:

Cantaloupe, Watermelon

Cooking Vegetables:

Beans, Corn, Eggplant, Okra, Onions, Bulb

Delta Produce LLC

Overview (1) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Broker, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Lanham, 20706 Maryland

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Gold Raspberries, Red Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries, Red Currants, Kiwiberries

Coastal Sunbelt Produce LLC

Overview (14) (0) (20)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Laurel, 20723 Maryland

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Strawberries

Melons:

Cantaloupe

Stone Fruit:

Apricots

Tropical Fruit:

Carambola

Cooking Vegetables:

Leeks, Rutabagas, Turnips

Whole Foods Market HQ

Overview (41) (0) (9)

Business Type:

Retailer, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Austin, 78703 Texas

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Deciduous Fruit:

Grapes

Melons:

Specialty Melons

Tropical Fruit:

Avocados, Bananas

Blackberries

Blackberries

Commodity Overview

PLUs

Facts

Sales Strategies

Dynamic Displays

Food Service

In the Backroom

Equivalents

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