Unfortunately, acai berries go bad very quickly. After a day or two, the berries begin to go bad. It turns out that one of the reasons this berry is so popular is also one of the reasons it's so perishable: It's high in nutrients. Acai berries contain high amounts of healthy fats, including omega-3, omega-6, and monounsaturated oleic acid.
While this is good news for your body, the fat quickly becomes rancid, giving the berries an unappealing mushy texture and rotten smell. Because of this problem, acai berries must be preserved (usually by freezing) soon after harvest before they can be stocked on store shelves.
Has anyone ever actually eaten a real acai berry?
Fresh acai berries do not exist outside the growing areas of northern Brazil. It spoils quickly after being picked, which is why it is only shipped and sold in frozen form.
Even better than buying acai juice or pre-prepared frozen sorbet is buying frozen cubes of pure fruit pulp and blending them together to make acai that everyone can eat. You can find suppliers of pure acai berries in Europe, but they are not cheap.
Can I get raw acai berries?
The original acai berry is only available in the Amazon rainforest. Berries rot quickly, so it's impossible to ship them fresh/raw. Apparently, there is unprocessed frozen acai pulp available.
Acai berries from Brazil
Learn about the production process of this delicious berry
Acai berries are collected from 25m – 30m tall acai palm trees (Arcales arecaceae). The diameter of the fruit is between 1 cm and 2 cm, and the weight is about 1.5 grams. Distributed in several states in the northern region of Brazil, the state of Pará leads the country in harvest rate of acai berries.
The varieties of acai fruit basically include:
Purple Acai: Also called black acai or acai wine, produces dark pulp (the most common type)
White Acai Berry: has shiny green flesh and produces a white, creamy juice
Acai pulp is mainly used in the preparation of juices, ice cream, energy bars, purees (the most famous "acai bowl" option), mixed fruit dishes, natural foods, condiments, alcoholic beverages, etc.
A very delicious fruit - and, guess what, it's also a powerful nutritional addition to your healthy menu. Anti-aging benefits (antioxidants), improving bowl motion, preventing heart disease, improving high cholesterol, treating infections, etc.
Acai berries from Brazil – an industry of the country
In the late 1990s, the industrialization and freezing of acai pulp began to develop in Brazil. Providing frozen pulp options for fruit consumption is a key factor in boosting global consumption.
This convenience of using acai frozen pulp is an even better way to "spread the word" about acai dishes, since this fruit presents an amazing, unique and delicious flavor and offers many options for the preparation of healthy foods .
How to Harvest and Process Acai Berries
The process of harvesting and producing acai frozen pulp was initiated by local people living in the Amazon region where acai palm trees exist. Also called "Ribeirinhos" they harvest and collect the berries and store them in baskets. By boat, the berries are transported to local processing plants:
- Acai berries are "air purified" to separate the fruit from leaves, twigs, dirt and other impurities
- The fruit is then soaked in a tank of chlorinated water for 15 minutes to eliminate any bacteria on the skin and ensure it is ready for extraction of the pulp
- Place the fruit again in another jar, but this time with warm water to facilitate the pulp extraction process
- After these preparation steps, the fruit will enter an automatic pulp extraction machine (similar to a blender) to separate the pulp from the kernels
- This liquid pulp is ultimately pasteurized and frozen in packages you can easily find for purchase
It should be noted that frozen acai pulp must be stored between (-)18°C and (-)25°C. This ensures the quality and integrity of your product. Also, make sure the frozen pulp is in a uniform mass and is dark purple in color.
