SALEM, OR--(Marketwired - Jul 6, 2016) - Grower-owned cooperative Oregon Cherry Growers, known for perfecting the original maraschino cherry, continues its innovation streak with the launch of Stabilized Wild Blueberries. The fruit piece as a whole is now available for use in the dairy and baking industries as a value-add ingredient.
"We've received a great deal of interest from companies looking for a better way to include identifiable fruit -- specifically blueberries -- in ice cream, among other products," said Tim Ramsey, Oregon Cherry Growers president and CEO. "Our research and development team is committed to creating innovative new products for our customers, and we're thrilled to announce the availability of stabilized blueberries."
Unlike most existing fruit in frozen dairy products, Oregon Cherry Growers' stabilized blueberries are infused with just the right amount of pure cane sugar prior to being suspended in a viscous stabilizer, which maintains uniformity when added to the end product. This process, which is similar to what's currently used with stabilized cherries, allows whole, identifiable blueberries to be added without becoming too hard when frozen, and the end result actually tastes like whole, slightly frozen blueberries.
The Oregon Cherry Growers Stabilized Wild Blueberries are sourced from Maine and use non-GMO sugar instead of corn syrup with a natural gum stabilizer. For more information on Stabilized Wild Blueberries, please contact: info@orcherry.com.
About Oregon Cherry Growers
Founded in 1932, Oregon Cherry Growers, Inc. is a grower-owned cooperative made up of family farmers located in the Willamette Valley and along the Columbia River Gorge, who take great pride in producing the highest quality fruit. The cooperative is the largest producer and processor of sweet cherries in the world, delivering maraschino, fresh, frozen, glacé, dried and canned cherries, as well as blueberries and strawberries, to global retail, industrial ingredient, and foodservice markets. For more information, please visit: www.oregoncherry.com.
Dedicated to nurturing the family farms of its coop members, OCG is one of the first agricultural cooperatives in the world to earn the third-party B Corp certification, in recognition of its environmentally responsible operations, progressive employment policies, quality products and community engagement.
Contact Information:
Media Contact:
Katie Schoen
503.866.7639
