Red, ripe and bursting with sweet-tart flavor, nothing says summer like raspberries, and for good reason – the peak raspberry harvest time coincides with the peak of summer!
While growing and nurturing this delicate fruit is a 12-month operation, the intense summer harvest season lasts only a few weeks. When it’s the fresh raspberry season, we encourage you to enjoy fresh raspberries!
So, what do you do during the remaining 11 months?
While you may be tempted to freeze your supermarket’s fresh raspberries, the best way to enjoy this summer sensation year-round is to head to the freezer aisle. We encourage you to leave the process of freezing raspberries to the experts: our multi-generational farmers who have perfected the art of growing and freezing these tiny gems for over 50+ years. This is not a job for the faint of heart: it requires passion, sacrifice, and commitment to grow, harvest and freeze this most delicate berry.
Need convincing? Here’s why frozen raspberries are the ideal berry to add to your grocery list.
- Flavor. Only the highest quality raspberries are selected for freezing – when they are at their peak ripeness, plump, have a bold red hue and are literally falling off the raspberry bush or “canes.” Once these perfectly ripe raspberries are harvested, they are “flash frozen” within hours using only cold air, often on the same farm as they were grown. No chemicals, no preservatives, no added sugar, just frozen raspberries. This gentle preserving process maintains the fruit’s integrity and signature sweet-tart flavor.
- Nutrition. One cup of frozen raspberries is an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C, while also being one of the lowest in natural sugar content compared to other berries. Learn more about the health benefits of raspberries.
- Cost. Frozen raspberries are economical choice, especially if you are not going to use them right away. Compared to the cost of a pint of fresh raspberries, a 10-oz bag of these frozen gems may offer more bang for your buck. What’s more, freezing may help to reduce spoilage and food waste. Frozen raspberries offer convenience and consistent superior quality year-round.
In this video, PERFECT, you see first-hand that growing, harvesting and freezing raspberries is more complex than driving a tractor. It involves food safety, agronomy and the unpredictability from Mother Nature each year. With passion, commitment, and sacrifice, our raspberry farmers have embraced the latest science to pick peek-of-ripeness fruit so you and your family can enjoy this gem of a berry long after harvest has passed.