Why do these berries taste tingly?

April 2, 2010 5:25 PM

Why do these supermarket berries feel like they're fizzing? I just bought a small package of mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries) from a small supermarket/convenience store (Rabba in Toronto). Some of the berries are cut and others are whole. All of them taste fine but they also give you a fizzing sensation on the tongue, as though they'd been put in soda water.. The label says they're good until tomorrow, but I've never had berries fizz like this before. Are they safe to eat?

This is maybe the 2nd or 3rd time that this has happened. I'm wondering whether this can happen if they've been stored or treated with carbon dioxide, but my googling hasn't turned anything up.

posted by mariokrat to food & drink (8 answers total)

In my experience, this usually means they've started to ferment a bit.
posted by lekvar at 5:39 PM on April 2, 2010 [3 favorites]

They are starting to ferment. Avoid plate glass windows if you fly.
posted by jamaro at 5:41 PM on April 2, 2010 [7 favorites]

I would take, as a rough guess, that the cut surfaces of the berries have been dusted with ascorbic acid to prevent discoloration. When ascorbic acid mixes with water, it fizzes -- that's what's in bath bombs, iirc.
posted by KathrynT at 5:42 PM on April 2, 2010 [2 favorites]

Agreed - lekvar, jamaro and KathrynT all have it right. Hence, why Rabba is also called "Rob Ya".
posted by peagood at 6:20 PM on April 2, 2010

I've experienced this a lot with less-than-awesome berries. Over-ripe berries never do this, but supermarket berries do quite frequently. I'd definitely suspect ascorbic acid. Either way, it's perfectly safe.
posted by paanta at 6:57 PM on April 2, 2010

This is maybe the 2nd or 3rd time that this has happened. I'm wondering whether this can happen if they've been stored or treated with carbon dioxide,

I've had this happen with fruit stored in an ice cooler with dry ice, so yes. It makes fruit taste weirdly un-sweet as well.
posted by oneirodynia at 7:01 PM on April 2, 2010

It makes fruit taste weirdly un-sweet as well.

That's not surprising. Like any other acid, carbonic acid tastes sour to the tongue.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:26 PM on April 2, 2010

I ended up taking them back for a refund. Safe or not, it wasn't what I wanted in berries just bought. Thanks for the answers!
posted by mariokrat at 7:38 PM on April 2, 2010