Best Oregon marionberries.

June 19, 2011 3:16 PM

Where were the best marionberries you've ever picked in Oregon? What region, what farm?

Need a bunch of berries for a marionberry ale I'm making (did it last year, went well!) and I'd like to get the best berries possible.

posted by curious nu to Food & Drink (7 answers total)

This year may be sort of a wild card as many crops are just now starting to turn ripe due to later wet/cold weather so quality is not as clear.

I'm not too knowledgeable about PDX options but there are a number of places here in the valley. Bauman's north of Woodburn usually has a good selection ready to purchase or if u-pick is your thing Greens Bridge out near Jefferson should have them.
posted by asterisk at 3:40 PM on June 19, 2011

I picked a couple years ago at Greens Bridge by Jefferson. The marionberries were nice, vines well kept back and fairly easy to pick. I don't remember the price, but it was comprable for other upicks. Will be going there again this year, whenever summer comes and the berries are ready.

BTW, I was not at all impressed with their raspberries. If you're ever after raspberries, and in the area, Childers has the best. No web site, family farm with raspberries only, between Albany and Lebanon. They are about a mile off hwy 20, north on hwy 226.
posted by dorey_oh at 4:20 PM on June 19, 2011

Response by poster: Yeah, it doesn't need to be Portland metro, I'm willing to travel wherever within the state.
posted by curious nu at 5:07 PM on June 19, 2011

I was super impressed with the fruit at Kruger's Farm out on Sauvie Island. I didn't get back to try their marionberries like I planned but their raspberries were divine.

Also: I want your marionberry ale recipe!
posted by amanda at 6:24 PM on June 19, 2011

Right near Crater Lake when I was a kid. Probably southwest of the park entrance, but this was 20+ years ago. Not helpful probably, but OMG were those ones good.
posted by togdon at 9:02 PM on June 19, 2011

Marionberries are domesticated, not wild. A hybrid, which was developed at OSU.

I would assume that somewhere in Marion County would be a good place to look.
posted by Danf at 9:29 PM on June 19, 2011

Thompson Farms is great, and they are really friendly. If you call them, they have a little recorded message that says what's ripe and what they have for sale or u-pick. They don't spray anything on their berries.
posted by peep at 10:13 PM on June 19, 2011