In 1945, around the time when the Dake Brothers purchased that small dairy and ice cream business starting what we know today as Stewart’s Shops, something else was happening in the Northwest corner of the country.
That same year, at Oregon State University the marionberry was developed by crossing two different blackberry varieties but this sweet berry it didn’t hit the market until 1956.
What is a Marionberry?
A Marionberry is a cross between a Chehalem blackberry and an Olallieberry; named after Marion County in Oregon which is fitting as they are only grown in Oregon. This medium-sized blackberry is sweeter and juicier than most other blackberries and can be reddish to deep black in color. Marionberries tend to be firmer and a bit larger than other varieties of blackberry.
Stewart’s Marionberry Cookie Ice Cream is here!
Now you can try it for yourself as a delicious ice cream flavor. It’s marionberry-flavored ice cream with a chocolate cookie swirl made with New York State’s Best Milk from local family dairy farms at the Stewart’s ice cream factory in Greenfield, NY. The creamy ice cream base has just the right amount of crunchy chocolate cookie swirl folded in. It is a sweet flavor that is only available for a limited time at the ice cream counter.
Molly Matson, “What Are Marionberries?”, The Spruce Eats, 6/2/20, https://www.thespruceeats.com/about-marionberries-2215840