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Why are commercial raspberries so sour?
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Posted by
mrclint z10SoCal Valley (
My Page) on
Sat, Sep 27, 14 at 17:20
| If most commercial raspberries weren't horribly sour they would have no flavor at all. Why is this? I popped over to the website for one of the big growers (starts with a "D") to see if I could find some clues. To ensure year round production they grow berries in Central & Southern California, Central Mexico and Baja. This tells me that there may be times of the year that the berries are better than others. They have developed proprietary varieties of raspberries, and i assume that flavor/sweetness isn't factored into the equation. Maybe some folks really prefer super sour berries, who knew? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Why are commercial raspberries so sour?
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- Posted by mrclint z10SoCal Valley (My Page) on
Sun, Sep 28, 14 at 0:41
RE: Why are commercial raspberries so sour?
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I think one one thing is they are picked slightly under ripe to hold
up in the shipping and shelf. |
RE: Why are commercial raspberries so sour?
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| Yeah, picked under ripe. Sometimes I miss fresh raspberries in February and a pick up one pack of Driscolls. Nasty. Then I forget how bad they are and get one pack the next Feb.... |
RE: Why are commercial raspberries so sour?
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| I never understood why people loved raspberries. Then recently I was in Washington visiting friends and tasted the raspberries growing in their yard. WOW, what a difference homegrown vs. store bought makes. I am hoping to start growing my own once I find some starts. |
RE: Why are commercial raspberries so sour?
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| Frankly, I cannot understand why anyone likes any fruit if all they get is from the supermarket. Everything is picked immature. When I was a kid my mother used to bring home great fruit from the grocery store. No more. I cannot buy any summer fruit and actually eat it. It either never "ripens" or is tasteless. Apples are green. Thank goodness for the local farmer's market here and what I can grow. And people fret over why the populace is not eating enough fruit and vegetables. Who wants to eat the junk widely available? |
RE: Why are commercial raspberries so sour?
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- Posted by ericwi Dane County WI (My Page) on
Sun, Sep 28, 14 at 14:34
| Raspberries are too fragile to pack and ship to market if they are picked ripe. Best bet is to buy frozen raspberries, Organic, if available. That way, the fruit is picked when ripe, and it only has to sit around a few minutes before being frozen. |
RE: Why are commercial raspberries so sour?
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- Posted by Drew51 5b/6a SE MI (My Page) on
Mon, Sep 29, 14 at 8:08
That's a good idea ericwi! Of course I grow my own, and freeze my own. They freeze whole rather well, and such. But not like fresh. I'm enjoying the fresh raspberries off the plants right now. And yes way to soft to ever bring to market. Raspberries in the midwest are one of the best crops to grow. As stated impossible to buy good ones. I threw out the last ones I bought after only eating a few, so bad! After growing your own, you cannot even eat store bought. I get 2 crops a year, summer and fall, enjoy months of picking as they ripen slowly over time. Even the same cultivar ripens over time. Prelude has new flowers, and ripe fruits right now. So a good 6 weeks off of that one of daily fresh fruit. I'm averaging 60 berries a day, some days 80. Here's a photo of the last daily harvest I photographed. From 2014 09 24
(only a few strawberries daily, in there too)
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RE: Why are commercial raspberries so sour?
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- Posted by myk1 5 IL (My Page) on
Mon, Sep 29, 14 at 18:36
I think some do prefer sour.
I once asked here for a specific flavor to make wine with and not sour was the biggest thing because after all the sugar is turned to alcohol a little sour goes a long way.
The variety recommended was quite sour and generic "berry" flavor. I got a variety recommendation from a dealer and the first time I picked some the aroma coming off the bucket was exactly what the flavor is in professional raspberry wine. (Not exactly what I was looking for, I'm looking for artificial Boone's Farm raspberry type flavor. But they're not sour.) |
RE: Why are commercial raspberries so sour?
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- Posted by Drew51 5b/6a SE MI (My Page) on
Mon, Sep 29, 14 at 20:46
I myself like sour, and do tend to pick some early for jam.
Some even ripe are tart. Well Wineberry was named for making wine, maybe that one would be good?
I myself prefer to infuse vodka with them :)
Currants would probably make good wine too, all tart no sugar though. Again great infused in vodka! Yes! (Red currants). |
RE: Why are commercial raspberries so sour?
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- Posted by skyjs z8 OR, USA (My Page) on
Mon, Sep 29, 14 at 20:51
A lot of people like fruit that is both sweet and tart. I do. I agree with this thread. Most kids today have never tasted vine/tree ripened fruit. No wonder they eat candy instead of fruit. No wonder they're so obese and diabetic. We've got to spread the word.
John S
PDX OR |
RE: Why are commercial raspberries so sour?
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- Posted by myk1 5 IL (My Page) on
Tue, Sep 30, 14 at 12:28
Infusing with vodka probably would give me more of the taste I'm after (or just juice for that matter). My raspberry melomel tasted great when it was honey and raspberry juice before fermentation.
But then I'd have to buy vodka and I really don't drink much, I just like making stuff :) People are probably diabetic because of genetics. Drs never ask if you eat sugar, they do ask family history. |
RE: Why are commercial raspberries so sour?
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- Posted by Drew51 5b/6a SE MI (My Page) on
Tue, Sep 30, 14 at 12:37
I only have a couple vodka and tonics on Saturday nights at the yacht club, and only in the summer, Maybe some wine at a special occasion dinner. Otherwise nothing. Well some Irish cream also on the weekend in a coffee after dinner. I like that a lot too.
My last two cultivars are ripening. Still green as of today, well one has a couple berries blushing red. Output is remaining high at 60 berries, but may drop to 40 in about a week. Still excellent results! I bought 25 freezer containers yesterday as I ran out of butter containers! Jeez I'm cheap! |
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