Few people associate the winter months with berries, especially if you’re unlucky enough to be living somewhere like northern Minnesota or central Maine. But with the recent proliferation of U.S. growers planting crops in South America and Mexico, the idea of eating fresh berry cobbler in late January isn’t so strange.

According to John Hedges, vice president of Sun Belle Inc., the U.S. today enjoys a steady pipeline of raspberries, blueberries and blackberries from South American regions situated south of the equator.

“Chile,” he says, “is like California on steroids with lots of mirror images of microclimates. What grows there grows in California six months later.” And Mexico, he adds, is “stepping up to the plate” by growing more varieties of berries and opening its doors to larger foreign investments.

At companies like Sun Belle, which last year imported nearly 970,000 cases of various berries for U.S. distribution, Hedges says, “We actually look to our U.S. growers to fill in the gaps when the growing seasons are finished in Mexico and South America. It’s a different and reversed approach.”

Supermarkets such as Whole Foods, Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons nowadays look for year-round suppliers to fulfill consumer demands. And shoppers, they claim, don’t notice any differences in the offshore berries versus those grown on U.S. farms.

Hedges cites, however, that raspberries from Chile are slightly smaller and more flavorful. But the blueberries are the same according to their varieties.

Berries that ascend to the northern climes from southern spheres are packaged at their growing sites. “They can’t be handled too much because they’re easily destroyed,” he notes. Yet for those leery of ingesting foreign bacterium, Hedges assures that third-party laboratories certifying overseas growing practices are strongly in place.

Regarding prices, Hedges recalls a time when consumers spent $8 to $9 for fruits that were considered out of season. “Now it’s closer to in-season pricing, especially with blueberries, as they come into a peak in January and February out of Argentina.” Blackberries, he adds, “have had a tremendous yield this year and sell for only $1.99 per half pint in some places.”

Berries can be frozen, although it diminishes their taste. Hedges recommends keeping them refrigerated in their original containers until they are ready to be eaten – usually no longer than five days. With raspberries, a “quick rinse is good enough” since washing them quickly breaks down their cell walls. “If you see mold on them, there’s no danger. Simply discard the berries that have it.”

Although when shopping for blueberries, “You want the bloom to be on the skin, which is a white snowy film. Those will be sweeter.” And when it comes to blackberries, “Make sure they’re dry and that the color is fairly uniform with a shiny black surface.”

Hedges suggests that instead of bringing wine to that next dinner party, bring a bowl of “blues, blacks and reds” instead. “It’s a special offering because people don’t normally stock them in their fridge during the winter. Berries are a very convenient item to buy and give.”

Below is a dessert recipe from the Sun Belle archives that could make for a surprising finale to those wintry comfort-food meals.

(serves 6)

2 cups either raspberries, blueberries or blackberries

2/3 cup sugar

1 lemon

3 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, lightly mix the berries with 1/3 cup of sugar. Then add the juice of the lemon and transfer to a medium-sized baking dish. On the side, cream together the flour, butter, salt and remaining sugar until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle evenly over the berries. Bake in a 350-degree, preheated oven for 40 minutes. Serve warm or cold.