Berry Bonanza (2/2)

Grab a handful of berries: the snack that is candy-like, ultra-convenient, famously healthful and available year round

Berry business success
Globalization Chile has been the main source of winter berries for sale in the U.S. in recent years. Not only does its summer coincide with winter in the U.S., but also its lower land costs plus lower farm wages offset the added shipping costs. Mexico is gaining, however, mainly in raspberries, thanks to new heat-tolerant varieties and cheaper shipping.

Fast and reliable refrigerated transport Raspberries picked in Chile on Monday are air freighted to the U.S. the next day. They'll be in shopping carts nationwide by late Thursday or Friday. Blueberries mostly come by ship from the Southern Hemisphere. They're cooled to virtual dormancy at 0 degrees Centigrade two hours off the bush and delivered in 20 to 30 days.

New varieties To survive shipping, a blueberry needs durablel flavor and a strong outer skin, plus a dry, sealed scar at the point where it's picked. Raspberries are thinner-skinned and have tiny picking scars on each of their 100 to 150 little berry bubbles, or drupelets. In addition to addressing this problem, plant researchers came up with varieties that bear fruit earlier and later in the season and in warmer climates.

The plastic "clam" packaging Shoppers want to know about the condition of berries at the bottom of the box, which couldn't be easily inspected when the berries were packed in paper boxes. Enter the plastic clam, which even comes with a shelf life-extending "diaper" to sop up accidents.

Forgiving consumers Long-distance raspberries must be picked firm and orange if they're to arrive in supermarkets semi-firm and deep crimson. That entails a considerable taste tradeoff, said Chad Finn, a berry specialist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's research center in Oregon. Lost taste doesn't seem to matter to consumers, he said, as long as "the berry looks good."

Vocabulary Focus

coincide (v) ---to happen at or near the same time

sop up (phr. v) ---to absorb liquid into a piece of solid matter

entail (v) ---to make something necessary, or to involve something

Specialized terms

dormancy (n) ---休眠或静止状态the state of being inactive