Boysenberries Delivery or Pickup

The boysenberry cultivar derives from a cross between a European blackberry and raspberry. While the precise nature of the boysenberry's creation remains foggy, most experts agree that Rudolph Boysen was responsible for the original crossing of cultivars.

As the story goes, Boysen abandoned his research and sold his farm. In the 1920s, reports indicated a sizable red-purple berry was growing on Boysen's old farm, and the USDA investigated with the help of local berry expert Walter Knott. Upon investigating, Knott discovered several vines struggling to survive, which he transplanted to his farm in Buena Park, California. There, Knott nursed the plants back to health and began commercially cultivating the berry.

Knott started selling the berries in 1923 out of his farm stand, and he quickly realized how popular they were. When asked the name, Knott called them boysenberries in honor of their originator. Knott used the berry at his family restaurant and pie company which ultimately evolved into Knott's Berry Farm. Eventually, Knott's Berry Farm began making boysenberry preserves which catapulted the farm into regional fame.

The boysenberry has soft skin and a delicate nature that can lead to decay within a few days of harvest if not properly picked and packaged. The juicy boysenberry has a balanced flavor of sweetness and tartness. The boysenberry can be eaten fresh as a snack or added to your favorite fruit salad. Baking with the boysenberry results in delicious pies and tarts, but its delicate nature lends best to making jams and jellies.

The flavor of boysenberries resembles its parents, the raspberry and blackberry. The blackberry's juicy sweetness shines, blending with the raspberry's strong floral character. The boysenberry has more tartness than either of its parents.

Ripe boysenberries have a plump, firm texture with a red-purple color. Any shriveling of boysenberries indicates that they are old and should be avoided. Coloring should be even, not splotchy. Uneven coloring may mean that the boysenberry hasn't fully ripened. Because of their delicate nature, ripe boysenberries can leak juice easily. You want to look for containers without a lot of juice present as this can indicate the boysenberries were roughly handled and will spoil quickly.

Boysenberries need to be refrigerated after they have been picked. At room temperature, boysenberries will last a day or two before beginning to spoil. In your refrigerator, boysenberries will last seven to ten days. Some experts suggest giving the boysenberries a quick bath in a solution of vinegar and water before drying and storing them in the fridge. The vinegar helps kill any mold present that could cause them to spoil faster.

You can extend the shelf life of boysenberries by freezing them. First, wash the boysenberries and lay them on a sheet pan to dry. Once dry, place the pan in the freezer for several hours. When the boysenberries have frozen, you can transfer them to sealed containers where they will last for six to eight months in your freezer. By freezing them first on a sheet pan, you reduce the chances of them freezing together in clumps.

The best way to preserve boysenberries would be to make jams or jellies from them. In this way, you can enjoy their juicy sweetness year-round. Boysenberry preserves also blend well with preserves of other berries. By mixing berries in jams and jellies, you can emphasize sweetness or tartness according to your taste.