This Brand Makes Costco's Fan-Favorite Frozen Berry Blend

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Frozen berries are a stock-up essential for many kitchens — especially since we know a prep tip for breakfast smoothies in half the time. Costco's Three Berry Blend is a beloved product that gets rave reviews (more on that in a bit), but, like with all Kirkland Signature products from our favorite membership warehouse, we sometimes wonder what manufacturer is behind the private label. In the case of the Three Berry Blend, we actually have an answer ... or, at least we did, six years ago.

In June 2019, the FDA issued a recall on Kirkland Signature Three Berry Blend in conjunction with Townsend Farms, Inc. of Oregon. The recall concerned the possible risk of Hepatitis A in the product's blackberries and was, for the record, strictly cautionary. We know that increasing numbers of food recalls are a result of greater detection and notification technology on the part of oversight agencies, and not generally a bad thing. Plus, as an unexpected perk, we got to find out that Townsend Farms was the source of our gotta-have berries.

Townsend Farms is a family-owned business based in the Columbia Gorge of Oregon. Not all the berries bearing its name are necessarily products of the Beaver State, however — tremendous success has seen the name expanded to a whole network of both domestic and international family farms. This means that your Costco berries may or may not be actual products of Oregon. Townsend Farms produces a panoply of frozen fruits (not just berries!), including tropical specimens. Its proverbial bread and butter, however, consists of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries — the former three of which make up the frozen Kirkland Signature blend.

Kudos to Townsend Farms for putting forward a good product, because most of the internet chatter regarding Costco's berry mix is positive, or even fawning. "Don't sleep on the frozen berries," a Reddit post implores. "They are so good for making smoothies." Subsequent comments went on to praise both the taste and nutrition of the fruit. The CostcoDeals Instagram page featured a reel showcasing the berry blend, which was referred to as a "favorite." Specific features that this account liked? The berries are chilled using nothing but cold air and have no added sweeteners.

The Facebook account belonging to Washington Red Raspberries bragged: "The berries used in Kirkland Signature's Three Berry Blend at Costco are flash-frozen mere hours after harvest, locking in all that delicious flavor and nutrition. These frozen berries are perfect for topping ice cream or oatmeal, shaking up a summer cocktail or blending into a smoothie." This leads us to wonder if Washington State, with its close proximity to Oregon, has a hand in the raspberries in the bag!

We're big fans of frozen berries in general. We know the best way to store fresh berries, but we often feel that, to steal a pun, the juice is not worth the squeeze — berries tend to go bad quickly, and frozen berries can be used just about every way that fresh ones can, only with a lot less waste. Smoothies definitely aren't the only way to use this fruit, even if they get a lot of credit for delish blends. We'd also bake them into pies and bars, use them to top açai bowls, or even stir them into cereal. One thing is for sure ... knowing where they are sourced is a big plus!