Where Does Costco Get Its Kirkland Signature Frozen Blueberries?

If you want to add a dose of antioxidants to your diet, Costco's Kirkland Signature organic frozen blueberries provide a convenient and cost-effective way to do it. (They can help give you a nutritious start to your day in recipes like our Almost-a-Milkshake Blueberry Smoothie, overnight oats, and smoothie açaí bowl.) Since Costco is notoriously tight-lipped about the suppliers behind its Kirkland Signature brand, we started wondering where it gets its frozen blueberries. So we decided to do a little digging. The available evidence points to (drum roll, please) the Scenic Fruit Company, based out of Oregon.

According to the only official record we could find (a 2019 FDA recall description), this family-owned fruit processing company is a Kirkland Signature supplier. According to Scenic Fruit's site, it obtains the fruit from local growers like Lazy D Farms in the Willamette Valley and Dierickx Farms in Banks. It's unclear if the previous arrangement is still in place. However, even if Scenic Fruit Company is a current Kirkland Signature supplier, we can't guarantee it's the only one. 

Another FDA recall in 2019 revealed that the Kirkland Signature Three Berry Blend (non-organic raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries) was supplied by the Oregon-based berry processor Townsend Farms. That company also sells an organic frozen berry blend under its own label. Both Townsend and Scenic Fruit Company obtain certifications for organic produce from Oregon Tilth, whose logo appears on packages of Kirkland Signature frozen blueberries. If you look beyond U.S. borders, you might find other companies filling that role. For instance, in Canada, Kirkland Signature frozen blueberries are supplied by Snowcrest Foods (via Costco Connection),

There are only seven reviews on the Costco site, but the vast majority are positive, with a cumulative rating of 4.1/5. One reviewer raved, "These are always perfectly plump, ripe & delicious!" but another said, "Despite the great price I get on these with my Costco membership, I'm now buying frozen organic blueberries from another national specialty grocery store....The taste of those is far superior to these."

In another thread, a Redditor asked if the Kirkland Signature Organic Blueberries were inferior to other store brands. One response defended Costco: "Every time I buy blueberries (organic) from Whole Foods or TJ's, I get either sour ones or mushy ones." Yet another commented, "We have memberships at both Sam's and Costco, and Sam's frozen blueberries are *way* better." Another Reddit thread asks if anyone else found their Costco blueberries to be overly sweet (which may be a bit like complaining your diamond shoes are too tight). One reply pointed out that taste can depend on where the blueberry was grown, while another said, "I have found the bags vary batch to batch. Had one sweet bag."

As a note, blueberries, whether frozen or not, will indeed vary from batch to batch, for various reasons, like the region of origin, weather conditions, and the fact that blueberries simply aren't a very consistent fruit. That said, we think the convenience of a three-pound bag of frozen blueberries outweighs a sour blueberry here and there.