Selecting Blackberries
Blackberries, like their bush-berry cousin, the raspberry, are fragile berries. As with all your fresh berries, handle them gently when rinsing. Look for deep, evenly colored berries with a nice sheen. They shouldn't have dents or bruises; broken "druplets" (small tiny bumps that make up the blackberry) will cause leakage adding to the breakdown of the berries.
Selecting Blueberries
Look for blueberries that are dry, plump and round and free of dents and bruises. Blueberries should have a soft hazy white coating, which is called "bloom." Bloom is a completely natural part of the berries' defense mechanism protecting them from the harsh rays of the sun. Blueberries that are shrivelled indicate moisture loss and lack of bloom could indicate over-handling.
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Care & Handling
Always refrigerate berries immediately.
Don't wash your berries until you are ready to use them.
Strawberries
Temperatures between 34F and 38F are ideal. For best results, store your strawberries in the original clear clamshell container you purchased them in.
Gently rinse berries with the green caps (calyx) still on, under cool water. After washing, remove green caps. For best flavor, allow strawberries to reach room temperature before serving. Under ideal conditions, strawberries should keep for 2 - 5 days in your refrigerator. For best results, consume your berries as soon after purchase as possible.
Raspberries
Raspberries are very perishable. Proper handling is easy and will help to insure that your Driscoll's raspberries remain fresh and delicious.
Temperatures between 34F and 38F are best, but be sure not to freeze them! (Fresh raspberries are very sensitive to freeze damage.)
Moisture will hasten decay of your raspberries, so keep them dry in storage. Under ideal conditions, raspberries should keep for 1-2 days in your refrigerator. For best results, consume your raspberries as soon after purchase as possible.
Blackberries
Temperatures between 34F and 38F are best. If you plan to eat them fresh, be sure not to freeze them! (Fresh blackberries are very sensitive to freeze damage.)
Moisture will hasten decay of your blackberries, so keep them dry in storage. Under ideal conditions, blackberries should keep for 1-3 days in your refrigerator. For best results, consume your blackberries as soon after purchase as possible. If you plan to freeze your blackberries for jams and jellies, be sure to wash your berries carefully in cold water. Pack berries into freezable containers, or freeze them on a tray and then pack them into containers as soon as they are frozen. Seal the container and keep frozen until you are ready to use them.
Blueberries
Temperatures between 34F and 38F are best.
Moisture will hasten decay of your blueberries, so keep them dry in storage. Under ideal conditions, blueberries should keep for 5-7 days in your refrigerator. For best results, consume your blueberries as soon after purchase as possible. If you plan to freeze your blueberries for jams and jellies, remember not to wash your berries before freezing. Washing, prior to freezing, will make the blueberry skin tougher. Pack berries into freezable containers, or freeze them on a tray and then pack them into containers as soon as they are frozen. Seal the container and keep frozen until you are ready to use them. Be sure to wash the thawed blueberries prior to using them.
General Berry Nutrition Facts
Berry Health Benefits
Strawberry Nutrition Facts
Raspberry Nutrition Facts
Blackberry Nutrition Facts
Blueberry Nutrition Facts
In addition to being flavorful, colorful, and delightful, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries are packed with important nutrients our bodies need to stay healthy.
Berries - the Tasty Antioxidant Solution!
The National Cancer Institute reports that eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day can help reduce the incidents of cancer. Yet, only one out of every ten people actually follows these guidelines. Berries are a delicious way to get antioxidants, phytochemicals, and other important nutrients that may reduce cancer rates.
Fresh berries of all kinds are:
strong sources of vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, and phytochemicals (or phyto-nutrients as they are sometimes called)
sodium-free, cholesterol-free and low in calories and fat.
a delicious way to reach your " 5 A Day " as recommended by the Produce for Better Health Foundation and the USDA. Top cereal or waffles with fresh berries, or blend them into your smoothie, and you are well on your way to reaching the recommended five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
Berry Health Benefits
Berries Help Protect Against Cancer, Heart Disease and the Effects of Aging
The most exciting news about berries is their abundant anti-cancer and anti-aging benefits! Our bodies need antioxidants to protect us from diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Scientists have developed a way to measure the antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables, called oxygen radical absorptive capacity (ORAC).
Scientists have found berries have some of the highest antioxidant levels of any fresh fruits, and kale and spinach are the only vegetables with ORAC values as high as fresh, delicious berries. Fresh berries are some of the most powerful (and delicious) disease-fighting foods available.
In fact, raspberries have an especially high level of antioxidants, according to a recent study published in the journal BioFactors (Vol. 23, pages 197-205). The study found that raspberries have three times more antioxidants than kiwis and 10 times more antioxidants than tomatoes. This is due largely to the presence of ellagitannins, compounds found almost exclusively in raspberries, and reported to have anti-cancer benefits.
What is ORAC?
The ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) test measures the ability of a substance to disarm oxygen free radicals. The test compares a sample to Trolox (a non-commercial water-soluble derivative of tocopherol). Results are reported as µmoles Trolox Equivalents (TE)/g. ORAC has become a standard method for measuring antioxidant capacity in dietary supplements.
Single servings of fresh or freshly cooked fruits and vegetables supply an average of 600-800 ORAC units. Scientists believe that increasing intake of foods that provide 2000-5000 units per day may be needed to increase serum and tissue antioxidant activity sufficiently to improve health outcomes.
What are Phytochemicals?
Phytochemicals are naturally occurring antioxidants in plants that add flavor, color pigments and scent, and they are abundant in all types of fruits and vegetables, particularly berries.
The pigments that give berries their rich red to blue, black and purple colors are a type of phytochemical that has been shown to have significant disease-fighting, cell-protecting antioxidant capacity.
What's in berries to help me?
Vitamin C:
is vital to the production of collagen, which is involved in the building and health of cartilage, joints, skin, and blood vessels
helps protect the fat-soluble vitamins A and E as well as fatty acids from oxidation
aids in neutralizing pollutants
is needed for antibody production
has natural antihistamine properties
Fiber helps:
protect against colon cancer
lower your risk of heart disease by lowering LDL-cholesterol levels
regulate your diabetes blood sugar levels
control your appetite by creating a feeling of fullness
Folic acid (folate) helps:
protect against colon cancer
lower your risk of heart disease by lowering LDL-cholesterol levels.
regulate your diabetes blood sugar levels
control your appetite by creating a feeling of fullness
reduce the chance of fetal neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida
Phytochemicals help:
prevent cancer
prevent heart disease
prevent diabetes
prevent high blood pressure
possibly reverse the effects of aging by improving memory and motor skills
ORAC
The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity-or ORAC Value-of foods is a measurement of the Antioxidant levels. The higher the ORAC Value, the more Antioxidants a food has. It's believed that foods high in these coveted vitamins give the body its greatest protection.
Antioxidants are natural substances found in plants, which are known to aid in the prevention of heart disease, cancer and stroke. In addition to boosting your immune system, these valuable compounds are also known to slow the effects of aging by improving things like memory, balance, coordination and motor skills.
Berries, with their high Antioxidant levels, are some of the most delicious and powerful disease-fighting foods available! Blueberries are among fruits and vegetables with the highest Antioxidant levels with an ORAC Value of 5486. Right behind blueberries are blackberries with an ORAC Value of 4654; strawberries at 3520 and raspberries, 2789. Berry ORAC levels top that of many other fruits and vegetables such as oranges, grapefruit, cherries, plums, brussell sprouts, broccoli and spinach.
Strawberry Nutrition Facts
One serving of Driscoll's strawberries (eight medium berries) contains:
More vitamin C than one orange!
20% of your Daily Value for folic acid (proven to reduce birth defects)
No fat or cholesterol, and high in fiber!
A daily serving of (8 medium) strawberries provides:
45 Calories with 12g Carbohydrate, 1g Protein, and 0g Fat
160% of your day's supply of vitamin C (more than one orange!)
16% of your day's supply of fiber
20% of your day's supply of folic acid (aids in the prevention of birth defects)
3520 ORAC Value (provides anti-cancer and anti-aging benefits)
Raspberry Nutrition Facts
One serving of Driscoll's raspberries (1 cup) provides:
An excellent source of vitamin C (40% of your Daily Value)
10% of your Daily Value of Folic Acid (Folate)
No fat, sodium, or cholesterol
A high source of fiber (8 grams, or 32% of your Daily Value)
A daily serving (1 cup) of raspberries provides:
60 Calories with 15g Carbohydrate, 1g Protein, and 1g Fat
50% of your day's supply of vitamin C
32% of your day's supply of fiber
6% of your day's supply of folic acid (aids in the prevention of birth defects)
2789 ORAC Value (provides anti-cancer and anti-aging benefits)
Blackberry Nutrition Facts
Beauty That's More Than Skin Deep
A daily serving (1 cup) of blackberries provides:
60 Calories with 2g Protein and only 1g Fat
50% of your day's supply of Vitamin C
32% of your day's supply of Fiber
9% of your day's supply of Folic Acid ?
6% of your day's supply of Iron
4% of your day's supply of Calcium
4654 ORAC Value
What is an "ORAC" Value?
The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity—or ORAC Value—of foods is a measurement of the Antioxidant levels. The higher the ORAC Value, the more Antioxidants a food has. Foods high in antioxidants give the body its greatest protection.
Antioxidants are natural substances found in plants, which are known to aid in the prevention of heart disease, cancer and stroke. They provide protection by neutralizing free radicals — substances in the body that can damage cells and lead to disease. In addition to boosting your immune system, they have been found to slow the effects of aging by improving things like memory, balance, coordination and motor skills.
Blueberry Nutrition Facts
One serving of Driscoll's Blueberries (one cup or 140 gm) provides:
A terrific source of Vitamin C (15% of your Daily Value)
A high source of dietary fiber with 5 grams, or 20% of your Daily Value
A cholesterol-free, sodium-free tasty treat with only a single gram of fat! Only 80 calories per serving
A daily serving (1 cup) of blueberries provides:
80 Calories with 21g Carbohydrate, 1g Protein, and 0g Fat
25% of your day's supply of vitamin C
14% of your day's supply of fiber
2% of your day's supply of folic acid (aids in the prevention of birth defects)
5486 ORAC Value (provides anti-cancer and anti-aging benefits)
Look for symmetrically shaped berries that have a nice sheen and brilliant, even color. Berry tips should not be too seedy and the "shoulders" should not be white. Look for strawberries that are clean and dry with fresh unwilted caps (calyx).
Raspberries are not only highly perishable, but are also the most fragile in the berry family. Handle them gently when rinsing. Look for plump, evenly-colored berries that have a soft, hazy "gloss." They shouldn't have dents or bruises; broken "druplets" (small tiny bumps that make up the raspberry) will cause leakage adding to the breakdown of the berries. Raspberries have tiny hairs on them called "styles," which are a completely natural part of the 
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