Unique, tart, sweet, petite: if this fruit was a woman it would be Kylie Minogue.
If the strawberry is the king of summer fruits, then the raspberry is surely the queen.
A bit about raspberries
British raspberries have two short seasons: the first fruits arrive in early June and are available throughout July. Then, just when you think it's all over, a second crop appears in September until early autumn when the first frosts appear.
They're grown around the world but have always been a quintessentially British fruit. This is largely due to the UK's temperate climate, which raspberries thrive in. Scotland supplies over 50% of raspberries eaten in Britain.
Although widely regarded as a tangy-bordering-on-eye-wateringly-tart fruit, raspberries become sweeter as they mature.
You can find raspberries in supermarkets, grocers and farmers' markets, but they can be expensive. It's better to grow your own, if you can, or pick them yourself – wild raspberries are noted for their exquisite flavour; you can find them in woods and on heaths.
Nutritional content and health benefits
Raspberries rank highly in antioxidant strength compared to other fruits. They're full of fibre, a great source of vitamins B and C, copper, folic acid, iron, manganese and magnesium. Medical research and traditional remedies both champion their copious health benefits; the properties in this dainty red fruit can benefit people with age-related sight loss, allergies, diabetes, diabetes and inflammation, amongst others.
Raspberry vinegar, currently a fashionable cooking and serving
ingredient, is an age-old cure for sore throats. To make raspberry vinegar, steep some of the fruit in white vinegar for
a few days. The leaves
of the plant can also be used to make a tea for heavily pregnant women
to ease muscle contractions in labour.
Cooking
Raspberries are a core ingredient in
summer pudding, make a delicate,
hugely popular jam and are an excellent fruit to use when making ice
cream (Raspberry Ripple, anyone?) They also freeze well if they're
separated and laid flat; otherwise their fragile structure turns to mush.
delicious. raspberry recipes
Summer berry puddings with vanilla fromage frais recipe
Berries must have been created with a summer pudding in mind. Make this
easy recipe in just half an hour, then chill overnight.
Raspberry and almond croissant cake recipeGive them a treat with this scrummy raspberry and almond croissant cake.
Little raspberry muffins recipe
Use this basic recipe and vary the fruit, depending on what is
available. Apples, blueberries, pears or blackberries all work well.
Add a handful of dark chocolate chips for a special treat, or raisins
for extra sweetness.
Cheesecake cups with fresh raspberry sauce recipe
These indivual cheesecakes topped with raspberries are a real winner in the summer.
Raspberry, sherry and nut trifle recipe
A simple, quick and delicious trifle, updated with amaretti biscuits and chopped toasted hazlenuts.
Raspberry and redcurrant sorbet recipe
Capture the essence of healthy summer berries with this memorable raspberry and redcurrant sorbet recipe.
Peach and raspberry Champagne cocktail recipe
Can you think of anything more wonderful than gently reclining
somewhere in the great outdoors, admiring the view and sipping a peach
and raspberry Champagne cocktail? If you're not the outdoor type, just
curl up on the sofa and enjoy this delicious cocktail.
Raspberry, peach and orange smoothie recipe
A quick and delicious smoothie.