Why Berries Are Usually More Expensive Than Other Fruits

If you're wondering why your favorite fresh berries are so much more expensive than other options like apples and bananas, it's probably because you are thinking about fruit as plants, not commodities. Like it or not, our modern food infrastructure is full of complex structures to get oranges from California, tropical fruit, and potatoes from Idaho onto the same store shelves. And being a commodity means every little bump in that road ends with a little bump in price that you see at the grocery store. So we decided to reach out to an expert, Nick Moless, a produce senior team leader at Whole Foods Market and Amazon Worldwide Grocery, to find out exactly what about berries makes them so expensive to get on store shelves compared to other fruits.

Unsurprisingly, he tells us there are quite a few different things that make berries difficult that all add up in that final bill. The first thing Moless says is, "Berries require more specialized care and handling than other fruits, which affects their availability." That's part of why more sturdy fruit like apples and oranges can be cheaper. They also have a more limited season when they are ripe, with Moless explaining that "berries only thrive in specific climates and seasons, meaning if they are not local, they often travel a great distance to make it to the shelf." Travel means fuel, maintenance, and labor, and all of that is being accounted for when you grab that pack of Driscoll's raspberries.

The trouble of producing berries doesn't stop with picking and shipping, either. Moless tells us that berries require specific packaging to make sure they aren't damaged, even after being picked. Finally, he notes that "berries also can have a smaller yield per acre than other fruits and need to be replanted every season, whereas fruit that grows on trees is replanted much less frequently." This means there's more work for fewer pieces of fruit, which can be damaged and lost much more easily. It makes you appreciate that we even have all these different types of berries year-round to begin with.

However, there is some good news around berry pricing: Cheaper can actually mean better. Moless explains, "If you see berries on sale, it usually means that particular berry is in peak season somewhere, so you're getting optimal quality and freshness!" That's great news during the warmer months when berries are in season, because summer recipes using fresh berries often use quite a lot of them, so your best pies will also be your most affordable. And if you are still worried about price, but want your berry fix, he says strawberries and blueberries are usually the better deal, as they have a wider year-round seasonal availability compared to those pesky raspberries or blackberries. But in a world where international shipping increasingly makes produce available year-round, berries' natural attributes have let them stay deliciously seasonal.