Polar Berries™
Estimated Inventory, bskt : 0
Description/Taste
Polar Berries™ are fruits made up tiny drupelets, which are individual fleshy globes that surround a single seed and are tightly clumped together, forming a round to oval shape. The clumped drupelets are also attached to a central, solid core that is edible and mildly crunchy. The drupelets are pale white to ivory and are smooth, shiny, and delicate. Underneath the thin skins, the flesh is juicy, tender, and encases small, edible seeds. Polar Berries™ are slightly larger than the common blackberry and have a sweet and tart flavor with a light note of citrus.
Seasons/Availability
Polar Berries™ are available in the late spring to early summer.
Current Facts
Polar Berries™, botanically classified as Rubus fruticosus, are small fruits that grow on an upright shrub that can reach up to two meters in height and are members of the Rosaceae family. Discovered growing by chance in a field of common blackberries and known for their unusual white coloring, Polar Berries™ are labeled as white blackberries and are regarded as a rare variety. Polar Berries™ are challenging to find as they are grown on a small scale through select farms and are marketed predominately for their distinct coloring. These fruits are also a popular home garden variety and are used for fruit bowls, baking, and fresh eating.
Nutritional Value
Polar Berries™ contain vitamins A, C, K, manganese, and fiber.
Applications
Polar Berries™ are versatile fruits and can be used as a substitute for regular blackberries in raw and cooked applications. When used raw, the berries can be consumed fresh, out-of-hand or they can be mixed into fruit bowls and green salads. The fruits can also be juiced and blended into cocktails, smoothies, and sodas. In addition to fresh applications, Polar Berries™ can be used in baking and are mixed into cakes, cobblers, turnovers, and pies, or they can be topped over ice cream, granitas, and cheesecake. The berries are also cooked into syrups and sauces that are commonly used over pancakes and pork chops, or they are stirred into oats for a sweet-tart flavor. Polar Berries™ pair well with apples, peaches, Asian pears, beets, limes, hemp seeds, chia, toasted almonds, goat cheese, and feta. The berries will keep 3-6 days when stored in a well-ventilated container in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Polar Berries™ are a unique variety that is favored in the United States as a home garden variety. Marketed for its sweet-tart flavor and white color, Polar Berries™ are a hardy plant that is easy-to-grow, resilient, and is less prone to being eaten by birds because of their color. This variety can also grow upright in containers instead of climbing on trellises, which makes it favorable in small, backyard gardens.
Geography/History
Polar Berries™ are a relatively new variety that was discovered by chance in a common blackberry field in Illinois and was released in the early 2000s in the United States. Today Polar Berries™ are found at local farmers markets and specialty grocers in the United States and are also sold online in the United Kingdom.
