Bad-tasting raspberries

13 years ago

I am in Portland, OR.

We have a stand of summer-bearing red raspberries- not sure of variety as they came with our house. Last year, they produced loads of tasty fruit.

This year, they are again covered with fruit, but I have noticed that many of the berries taste bad. They have a musty, sour, somewhat metallic taste. Other berries from the same stand taste fine. No sprays of any kind have been used on the berries or nearby. The berries and plants look entirely normal- no signs of mold, mildew or disease. The berries are not mushy, dwarfed or deformed. They look just like the berries that taste fine. Unfortunately, the only way to find the bad-tasting berries is to taste them!

I researched every raspberry disease I could find but didn't find mention of any that caused bad-tasting berries.

Any ideas of what might be going on here?

Featured Answer

HU-469479032

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

I agree-I am here in Fllorida and even the frozen raspberries have lately contained a nasty metallic taste , I actually just googled this question-And the stinkbug thing makes sense,but…, I am grossed out now-lol- wow wow-

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Comments (7)

mrsg47
13 years ago
stink bugs?
gator_rider2
13 years ago
Citric acid is naturally found in citrus fruits such as lemons, limes and oranges. It is also commonly found in raspberries and blackberries.
Potash and Magnesium really helps to make thing sweet in very small amounts like 2 tablespoons per plant early next year around bloom time. High amounts water rain wash these minerals out soil wet ground sour fruit.
As MrsG stated stink bud to flavor Berries its there so green from butt.

This post was edited by gator_rider2 on Tue, Jun 25, 13 at 19:43
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crisw
Original Author
13 years ago
Hmm, I did notice some green and black stink bugs on the bushes. I had never heard that they could contaminate the fruit (funny they aren't touching the blueberries!). Guess I'll have to look into getting rid of them safely, as the bees also love the raspberry plants and I don't want to harm them.

I have some other plants that are magnesium-deficient that are getting Epsom salts; maybe I'll give some to the raspberries too.
gator_rider2
13 years ago
The best way I ever destroy stink bug is with trap crop in fall this crop stay green even after freeze like Mustard greens are turnips. stink bug in fall go to most green plants by that I mean they leave first fall coloring of plants Leaves slight yellow for example. Onto Mustard greens once temperature drop to low freeze they go into winter hiding sheds are homes eves, door cracks. Green patch with Pyrethrin spray is best way kill stink bug I've saw dead on ground 4" apart in 2 hours the green are edible next day I wait 3 days just in chase your zone 8b same as mind long fall weather below 45 degrees bug leave plants by attracting and killing these bugs give me relief for couple years. I did this because of black spot on pecan meats that taste strong as well on berry fruits.
Spraying just your plants just tips iceberg that goes for all insects. Like we say here if kill all insects come over fence you want have to spray field. While you seeing on bush they are behind you, in front you and on both sides for mile in grass tall are weeds are wild bush plants and trees. .
larry_gene
13 years ago
Yes, stink bugs are your bad-flavor culprit.
mjangell
3 years ago
Well this helps with my bad experience with last year’s Costco raspberries. They were great early in the season but the last two batches that I bought tasted like stink bugs. Having been criticized for saying that Pepsi tastes like RAID, i was hesitant to say so out loud. Nice to know im not crazy and if I ever get past it and buy raspberries again, I will know to complain and explain. No, i have never had either RAID or a stink bug in my mouth. I do have a very good sense of smell.