Marionberry

Rubus L. subg. Rubus · Berry

40 pairings

The marionberry is a trailing blackberry cultivar bred in Oregon, a cross of the 'Chehalem' and 'Olallie' blackberries released in 1956 and named for Marion County, where it was trialled. Medium-large, glossy-black and elongated, it is prized for a rich, complex flavour that balances deep blackberry sweetness with a bright, earthy-tart edge — so distinctive that it is often called the "Cabernet of blackberries" and accounts for the bulk of Oregon's blackberry crop.

Picking a good onedrag

Jet-black, firm, drySoft, leaking or mouldy

Black, softeningThe ordinary good punnet — raw over yoghurt, into a cobbler or a fool. A berry still red at the shoulders stays sour, so eat around it.Everyday best

SkinBlack through, the shine flattening, one drupelet sunken

SqueezeGives a little under the thumb, still holds its shape

Stem endScar dry, a few green caps and stalks loose in the punnet

SmellSweet but quieter, more jam than fresh fruit

What to look for, from jet-black, firm, dry to soft, leaking or mouldy.

Keeping ittap a band

A domestic fridge holds it about 2× longer than the counter.

Humidity

90-95%

USDA's figure for blackberries. Leave the fruit in the vented punnet and store it dry; wash it just before eating, never before it goes in the fridge.

Airflow

Vented, not sealed

A shallow single layer in a vented punnet. Piled deep the fruit crushes itself, and one mouldy berry takes its neighbours within a day.

Preparing