If you’re lucky enough to live in the Pacific Northwest or have spent some sun-drenched summer days here, you’re probably familiar with Oregon’s favorite berry.
You know Oregon likes to stand out from the crowd, so we’re not just talking simple strawberries or basic blueberries here…
We’re all about the juicy, the sweet, the tart, the rich, the aromatic…Oregon marionberries!
Besides being straight-up tasty, they’re a beloved Pacific Northwest staple with a wide variety of culinary uses and a unique regional history.
Since they’re the star of our best-selling Probiotic Refresher, let’s dive into all the juicy details of Oregon marionberries!
Did you taste that? Oregon marionberries pack a delicious punch.
These large, dark-purple-almost-black berries keep Pacific Northwesterners counting down the days til mid-July, when Oregon marionberry season is in full swing.
When picked at peak ripeness, they’re super sweet and juicy. Their perfect tartness balances the flavor and creates a fantastic, complex taste. Marionberries have a glossy sheen, tender texture, and mouth-watering aroma.
A love story: a brief history of Oregon marionberries
The origin story
Imagine if a couple of blackberries met at a Portland farmers market on a Saturday morning. They introduced themselves as Chehalem and Olallie and got to chatting while they waited for their blueberry barista (with some rad forearm tattoos) to make their cold foam lavender lattes.
They hit it off, fell in love, and the rest is history. Fast forward a couple years: they had a baby and named it Marionberry!
That’s basically how Oregon marionberries were made, except instead of a hipster blueberry barista, the matchmaker for the two varieties of blackberries was a U.S. Department of Agriculture horticulturist named George Waldo.(1)
Post World War II, Waldo was working as a berry breeder. He married the Chehalem and Olallie blackberries, and knew he was onto something when all the taste testers at Oregon State University collectively said “I do!”
Waldo named the berry after Marion County, home to the University, and folks in the Pacific Northwest have been gobbling up Oregon marionberries for over 80 years now.
Why the Pacific Northwest?
Oregon’s WIllamette Valley is known for its rich, + fertile soil and mild climate. These factors make the region prime for cultivating a wide range of berries, including marionberries.
Great soil drainage, plenty of rain, and relatively moderate temperatures help to make a happy home for berries in the Willamette Valley.
These perfect conditions for marionberries mean they’re grown almost exclusively in Oregon.(2) And even though they’re a firmer berry than most blackerries and can tolerate shipping more easily, they’re hardly ever shipped out of the Pacific Northwest.
Why?
Because people in the Willamette Valley and surrounding areas are so eager to get their hands on them each summer, farmers have more local demand for their marionberries than they can keep up with.
They grow ‘em here, we eat ‘em here! (All of ‘em!)
A cultural symbol
The lifecycle of Oregon marionberries – from cultivation to consumption – is a pretty closed loop within the Pacific northwest. This has led to the berry becoming important to the region’s identity and local culture.
They have a major positive impact on the state’s agricultural economy. With over 7,000 acres of marionberries planted in Marion County alone, Oregon at large produces around 30 million pounds of these delicious little gems each summer.(3)
As an important part of the state’s agritourism industry, marionberries draw visitors from all over the country to the Willamette Valley. Folks are eager to experience Oregon marionberries at local berry festivals, culinary events, u-pick farms, and more.
Anyone up for the Oregon Berry Festival, the Marion County Fair, or The Bounty of Yamhill County food and wine festival?
Healthy and delicious? More please!
Marionberries are mouth-watering-good, but that’s not all – they’re really healthy, too!
Wondering what they have to offer you, besides stellar taste?
Here’s the low-down(4):
- They’re packed with antioxidants, which can help protect your cells from free radicals that produce oxidative stress. Keep up the good work, flavonols, ellagic acid, and anthocyanins!
- They give you a boost in Vitamin C, which is super important for healthy immune function.
- They offer lots of Vitamin K, which supports bone health and proper blood clotting.
- They’re high in fiber! One cup of fresh marionberries has over seven grams of dietary fiber to support overall digestive health.
- They may help decrease inflammation. All those antioxidants in marionberries? They can improve conditions related to chronic inflammation.
Some tasty ways to get your fill of Oregon marionberries
Since marionberries strike the perfect balance of sweet + tart, they’re a super versatile culinary berry. In Oregon they’re popularly used in jams, pies, sauces, wines, and more. Whether cooked, preserved, or fresh, they’re a favorite summer staple.
Looking for some marionberry inspiration? Try one of these crowd-pleasing, quintessentially Oregon recipes:
- This marionberry crisp is a tasty, perfectly-summer dessert.
- For a fun twist on a savory favorite, how about these pulled pork sliders with marionberry mojito sauce?
- To preserve the taste of an Oregon summer all year long, try this recipe for marionberry jam.
And for an epic marionberry experience without cooking, hit up Salt & Straw for a scoop of their Goat Cheese Marionberry Habanero ice cream.
While all these are sure to please, the best – and we mean the very best! – way to enjoy the bounty of Oregon marionberries is hands-down Good Wolf’s Marionberry Probiotic Refresher!
Good Wolf + Oregon marionberries
At Good Wolf, we’re all about whole, real, fresh, clean, local ingredients. So, making Oregon marionberries the star of one of our Refreshers was a no-brainer!
Our Marionberry Probiotic Refresher is juicy, smooth, and full of flavor – it’s like summertime in a can. Imagine the vibes of a backyard BBQ + fresh pies on a checkered tablecloth + your favorite flip flops…if those vibes had a taste, it would be the Marionberry Refresher!
We add fresh marionberry juice (and other premium ingredients) to our base of organic Pacific Northwest apple juice, which is fermented with water kefir cultures. The result is a gut-friendly probiotic drink that’s super smooth, gently carbonated, free from added sugar, and ultra-delish.
Cheers to the berry from Marion County, helping Good Wolf bring you the taste of summer all year long!
[Gimme those marionberries!] ← marionberry refresher product page button
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Author: Molly Brumfield