Blackberries, Frozen - 10 oz

Cascadian Farm has grown organic fruit in Washington's Skagit Valley since 1972 -- long before "organic" carried a certification seal. The company has since outgrown that original home farm, but the same standards for how fruit is picked and frozen still guide every batch today.

These are whole, individually frozen organic blackberries -- sun-ripened before harvest and frozen shortly after picking to hold their color, texture, and flavor through the off-season. No added sugar, syrup, or preservatives -- just the fruit.

Blend them into smoothies, fold them straight from frozen into pancake or muffin batter (this keeps the color from bleeding), simmer them down for a quick compote, or bake them into a cobbler -- frozen blackberries actually hold their shape better than fresh when baked.

Suitable for vegan, paleo, and whole-food diets, and free of the synthetic pesticides and fertilizers that organic certification prohibits; blackberries are also naturally one of the lower-sugar berries, making them a popular pick for keto and low-carb plans. Keep frozen until ready to use.

Ingredients: Organic Blackberries.

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Common Questions

How does organic frozen blackberry compare nutritionally to conventional fresh or frozen blackberries?
The fruit itself is nutritionally similar to any blackberry — about 62 calories, 13.8 grams of total carbs, and 7.6 grams of fiber per cup, whether organic or conventional. The real difference is in what's not there: USDA organic standards prohibit synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and genetically modified plant stock, so residue testing on organic berries consistently shows lower or non-detectable pesticide levels compared to conventional crops. Freezing shortly after harvest also matters more than the organic label for nutrient retention — flash-frozen fruit typically holds its vitamin C and anthocyanin content better than fresh berries that sit in transit and cold storage for a week or more before reaching a store shelf. So you're getting the same base fruit, with a cleaner input profile and often better nutrient preservation than a 'fresh' berry that's actually older than it looks.

What gives blackberries their color, and does that compound actually do anything nutritionally?
Blackberries owe their deep purple-black color to anthocyanins, primarily cyanidin-3-glucoside, a flavonoid pigment concentrated in the skin. Anthocyanins are potent antioxidants studied for their role in reducing oxidative stress and supporting vascular function, and blackberries rank among the higher anthocyanin-content berries per serving, alongside blueberries and black raspberries. Freezing doesn't meaningfully degrade anthocyanin content — several food science studies show frozen berries retain 90% or more of their anthocyanin levels compared to fresh, since the compound is heat- and oxygen-sensitive rather than cold-sensitive. That's part of why frozen fruit isn't a nutritional downgrade from fresh; in this case, quick freezing right after picking may actually lock in more of the pigment than berries that oxidize slowly during days of shipping.

Do these fit a keto, paleo, or low-carb diet?
One cup (about 144 grams) has roughly 13.8 grams of total carbohydrate and 7.6 grams of fiber, putting net carbs at around 6 grams — low enough that a half-cup portion fits comfortably into most keto macro budgets without derailing ketosis. For paleo and whole-food diets, blackberries are fully compliant since the ingredient list is just the fruit itself, with no added sugar, syrup, or preservatives to worry about. They are not a fit for strict carnivore protocols, which exclude plant foods entirely, but for any diet that allows whole fruit — paleo, primal, Whole30, or standard low-carb — this product works without modification.

Can I substitute these for fresh blackberries in baking, and does it change anything?
Yes, substitute by weight or volume 1:1 in most recipes — muffins, cobblers, crisps, pancake batter, or a stovetop compote. The main adjustment is not thawing them first for baked goods: folding berries in while still frozen keeps the juice from bleeding into the batter and streaking it purple, and it also means the fruit holds its shape better through baking rather than collapsing into mush like fully thawed fresh berries can. If a recipe calls for macerating fresh berries with sugar before use, you can skip that step or let frozen berries sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes first. For compotes or sauces where you want them broken down anyway, go straight from freezer to pot — the ice content actually helps them release juice faster.

How can I verify the organic and non-GMO claims on the package?
The organic claim is backed by a USDA-accredited certifying body that audits the farm's growing practices annually, checking for compliance with National Organic Program standards — no synthetic pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers, no irradiation, and no GMO seed stock. The certifier's name and USDA Organic seal appear on the package, and you can cross-reference the certifying agency through the USDA's public Organic Integrity Database, which lists every certified operation by name. Non-GMO status for a single-ingredient organic product is largely redundant with organic certification itself, since USDA organic rules already prohibit genetically engineered ingredients — but it's stated separately here for clarity. If you want to verify further, the certifying body's logo on the bag corresponds to a specific accredited agency you can look up directly.

Why is this berry frozen individually rather than in a solid block?
Individual quick freezing, or IQF, means each berry is frozen separately on a belt before bagging, rather than packed wet and frozen into a clump. This matters practically because it lets you pour out exactly the amount you need — a half cup for a smoothie or two cups for a cobbler — without thawing and refreezing the rest of the bag, which degrades texture and encourages ice crystal damage to the fruit's cell walls. It also means each berry freezes fast enough to minimize the large ice crystals that form during slow freezing, which is what causes mushy texture in poorly frozen fruit. The tradeoff of this method is a slightly higher processing step compared to bulk freezing, but it's what keeps individual berries intact and separate for cooking use straight out of the bag.