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For 20 years, Fruit d’Or has been expanding their expertise in high-quality, organic cranberries and wild blueberries to meet the needs of distributors, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers in an ever-changing market. The company’s berries thrive under the watchful eye of experienced growers in Quebec, Canada who meet the industry’s strictest regulations and have developed innovative agricultural techniques to ensure the highest level of quality and flavor. Fruit d’Or’s commitment to sustainability and organic ingredients also means that their fields are weeded by hand and their berries are not exposed to pesticides, fungicides, or other harmful chemicals, further solidifying their wild blueberries as a superior ingredient. Beyond cultivation, the company's Research and Development team plays a pivotal role in advancing the artful science of berry production to push the industry forward with new technologies and cutting-edge methodologies. Its latest breakthrough comes in the form of the No-Bleed, Extra Juicy Wild Blueberry, a breakthrough in wild blueberry ingredients.
Several distinct advantages set wild blueberries apart from cultivated variants. Known for being nutrient dense with a more complex flavor profile, wild blueberries contain twice the level of antioxidants and provide three times the piece count in baked products than highbush cultivated blueberries. This particular wild blueberry was specially developed in partnership with an international commercial baking client. This client needed a premium, clean-label blueberry, preservative-free variant that not only possessed exceptional juiciness, but also maintained its integrity without bleeding throughout the mixing and processing of the dough, a familiar challenge for formulators who work with blueberries. When moisture leaches from a baked blueberry, it can often cause unsightly blueish-green welts to form in the baked good, which consumers often associate with cheaper, lower-quality products.
To combat this issue, Fruit d’Or’s R&D team spent over a year in development to create what is truly a Goldilocks berry: not too dry, not too moist –– just right for a variety of baking applications. This is accomplished through a simple but highly effective manufacturing process that introduces Fruit d’Or’s wild blueberries to a syrup infusion containing cane sugar. They are then dried at a low, consistent heat for a predetermined amount of time to create a hardened casing around the berries that increases their structural integrity while maintaining a soft, juicy, and flavorful center that consumers and formulators alike expect from a wild blueberry.
This innovation unlocks new opportunities for formulations and sets a new standard for blueberry ingredients. The hardened casing provides excellent stability during high-speed mixing processes, baking, and preserves the product's form and moisture content during even the most challenging manufacturing processes. However, the true brilliance of this product can be seen most clearly in the context of deep-fried pastries, notably yeast donuts. Fruit d'Or's clean-label ingredient is fully compatible with yeast-leavened dough systems as it contains no preservatives or processing aids that hinder yeast activity or gluten development. A conventional IQF blueberry would be compromised by the high temperatures of fryer oil, causing moisture leaching and color migration. Fruit d’Or’s no-bleed blueberry, however, is highly stable in fryer conditions which minimizes inclusion loss and allows for a higher piece count in the finished product. That means less waste, better products, and happier stakeholders.
Beyond donuts, other baked goods like cookies, muffins and cakes, artisanal breads, and scones also enjoy the benefits of the No-Bleed, Extra Juicy Wild Blueberry’s unique qualities. The hardened casing provides bakers with a high-moisture ingredient that performs similarly to conventionally dried fruit. This limits moisture migration from the crumb to the fruit, yielding a softer baked good over its shelf-life. Because the crumb and berry aren’t competing for moisture, bakers can expect an improvement in softness over shelf-life similar to what they would experience when soaking dried fruit prior to mixing. The omission of this soaking step in the bakery reduces operational complexity, including quality, sanitation, and wastewater management, saving bakers time and money while delivering a superior sensory experience to their consumers. Additionally, thanks to Fruit d’Or’s cane sugar infusion, the blueberries maintain their pleasant mouthfeel while frozen, giving them exciting potential in dairy and frozen confectionery applications.
Fruit d’Or’s wild blueberry checks all the boxes of a premium ingredient. The infusion of syrup heightens the natural, distinctive flavors and sweetness of the blueberry, its roundness and uniform shape provide visual cues for consumers that are associated with premium quality, and its juiciness contributes to a delightful mouthfeel and a softer crumb throughout its shelf life. The innovative features of these No-Bleed Blueberries elevate not only the practical aspects for formulators but also the sensory experience for consumers, making them a transformative addition to the world of baking ingredients. It substantially raises the bar for collaboration and shows how a forward-thinking R&D team can revolutionize ingredients for the baking industry and beyond. It not only solves a common industry challenge, but also paves the way for a new era of premium, clean-label blueberry products. Ready to experience the No-Bleed, Extra Juicy Wild Blueberry for yourself? Visit the Fruit d’Or website to contact their team or request a sample.
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