Berry Fresh says its Sweet Karoline blackberry season is underway and retailers can expect excellent flavor and quality for this season’s crop.
Berry Fresh co-owns the Sweet Karoline blackberry variety, which the company said is known for its sweet flavor and resistance to red cells.
“Sweet Karoline is really impressing our customers, with the season ramping up into its peak,” Jyoti Bhogal, vice president of sales and marketing at Berry Fresh, said in a news release. “The season will go into June with flavor this year tasting fantastic.”
While the variety has been on the market for four years, Berry Fresh said it learns more about the variety as it increases its distribution. The variety is exclusively grown in Mexico, and its season spans from February to June.
“It’s the blackberry that will change blackberry haters’ minds,” said Laudan Chaffin, marketing director for Berry Fresh. “Through sampling and consumer feedback, we’ve surprised many blackberry doubters with Sweet Karoline’s flavor; it’s not only consistently sweet, but its flavor has depth to it as well. Many of us have had bad blackberries and that bitter, tart taste lingers in your memory. Sweet Karoline is going to change that view.”
Bhogal said Berry Fresh plans to expand its acreage and add plantings in the U.S. to lengthen the growing season.
“We are currently prepping fields in Oregon to plant the variety later this Spring,” Bhogal said. “We would like to test how they do in Oregon and are hopeful that we’ll be able to extend the season later into summer with an Oregon Sweet Karoline crop.”
