Raspberries
Raspberries are delicious in sweet and savory dishes alike, as well as incredibely nutritious.
Raspberries...
- ...helps detox your body.The natural acids and tannins in raspberries help the liver break down harmful substances and fight pathogens. Citric acid and plenty of potassium in raspberries also helps drain superfluous fluids.
- ...protect your cells.Raspberries contain many secondary plant compounds, especially flavonoids. These natural plant dyes such as quercetin, anthocyanins and kaempferol help combat harmful and carcinogenic free radicals. They also keep the cells elastic, thus helping prevent cardiovascular diseases.
- ...can help you lose weight.Thanks to their relatively abundant fruit acids, raspberries are relatively low in sugar. Raspberries also have zero fat content and pack a high dose of fiber
- ...strengthen your bones and teeth.With a combination of relatively high phosphorus and calcium levels, raspberries support the formation and strengthening of bones and teeth.
- ...keeps you young longer.Raspberries are a perfect secret weapon in anti-aging. They are high in antioxidants, nutrients and minerals that provide effective protection against free radicals which can cause our skin to age rapidly.
- ...stimulate digestion.Raspberries are rich in pectin, a particularly beneficial and digestible fiber for the stomach and intestines. Pectin stimulates digestion and binds toxins in the intestines, which allows the body to eliminate them more easily.
- ...promote healthy blood.100 grams of raspberries contain 1 milligram of iron. While this isn’t a super high amount, the high vitamin C content (25 milligrams per 100 grams) easily makes up for it, as the vitamin C ensures the body can use the iron from raspberries effectively, promoting blood formation and good oxygen transportation in the blood.
What You Should Know About Raspberries
Not all raspberries are the same. Whoever finds the increasingly rare, incomparably aromatic wild specimens in the forest can count themselves lucky. All others have to console themselves with the cultivated garden version. Although their taste is inferior to that of their delicious wild cousins, cultivated raspberries are still incredibly delicious.
Raspberries owe their current size to modern breeding methods. In earlier times, raspberries were much smaller than the current variety. However, large raspberries from cultivated plants have one thing in common with their comparatively tiny ancestors from the forest: because they are extremely sensitive to pressure, they have to be harvested by hand.
Origins
The raspberry is originally from Borthern, Central and Eastern Europe and parts of Asia.
Seasonality
Raspberries come to the market all year round either from overseas or from the greenhouse. But they taste best when they are in season from June to August.
Flavor
If they are perfectly ripe, raspberries are sweet with an acidic bite. If picked too early, the flavor will be more acidic.
Find all our raspberry recipes here.
How Healthy Are Raspberries?
Fruit is healthy, we all know that. But raspberries are among the absolute front-runners compared to many other varieties. They are full of useful nutrients. In addition to A and B vitamins, 100 grams of raspberries provides about 25 milligrams of vitamin C, which is about a quarter of our daily requirement. Raspberries are also rich in minerals and trace elements such as iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium. The acids and tannins in raspberries can also help the liver detox, and reduce fever.
Especially remarkable, however, is the raspberrie’s abundant content of flavonoids such as quercetin and kämpferol, which can protect the body cells from damaging influences and have a positive effect on the heart and circulation.
The raspberry’s content of pectin, a dietary fiber, is particularly beneficial and easily digestible for the stomach and intestines.
The natural fruit acids contained in raspberries provide a high dose of Vitamin C, but can cause discomfort in a sensitive stomach. Caution should be exercised with raspberries if you suffer from a histamine intolerance.
| Raspberry Nutritional Info (100 g) | |
|---|---|
| Calories | 33 |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 5 g |
| Fiber | 5 g |
Shopping and Cooking Tips
Shopping
When shopping for raspberries, aim to purchase at the peak of their ripeness. The riper the raspberries are, the less salicylic acid they contain. Wild raspberries should only be picked in areas with low levels of environmental pollution (industrial or car exhaust fumes).
Storage
Raspberries are a fragile berry and should be handled sensitively. They react quickly to heat with mold, and too much pressure can quickly turn them mushy. Therefore it’s best to consume fresh raspberries as soon as possible. In the meantime, store them in a cool place, preferably on a large plate instead of a bowl.
Preparation
Raspberries should be rinsed off in a colander, and carefully patted dry.
What To Make with Raspberries
Raspberry is a versatile fruit, and can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Raspberry cakes are popular, but raspberries are also delicious in ice cream, fruit salads or with yogurt. Ripe raspberries can also be used to make delicious jam or jelly. Even slightly squashy raspberries are far too good to throw away - they are perfect for making delicious raspberry puree!
Raspberries are also great in savory salads, or used as a sauce to pair with for poultry and red meat dishes.
