Raspberries, the perennial plant with vibrant color and flavor, might not be the most popular red fruit on the market, but they are certainly among the healthiest.
They protect against many diseases, have lots of other nutritive content, and are simply delicious.
Raspberries come in many varieties, have many health benefits, and have an interesting history.
Not only are they wonderfully healthy and tasty, raspberries also come in many varieties, including the Korean Raspberry, European Red Raspberry, Western Raspberry, Blue Raspberry, Black Raspberry, Wine Raspberry, and the American Red Raspberry.
Some plant experts believe the Eurasian and American red raspberries to belong to a single species, Rubus idaeus, with the European plants categorized as either R.
idaeus subsp.
idaeus or R.
idaeus var.
idaeus, and the North American red raspberries categorized as either R.
idaeus subsp.
strigosus, or R.
idaeus var.
strigosus.
Raspberries are grown in Russia, Serbia, the US, Poland, Germany, the Ukraine, Canada, Hungary, the UK, and France.
They are produced in these countries for the fresh fruit market, yet are also sent to commercial processing.
Dried raspberries, frozen raspberries, raspberry jam and jelly, raspberry sauce, and raspberry puree are only a few of the many raspberry uses.
Raspberries are traditionally a summer crop; however, with new advances in growing technologies, raspberries can be found year-round.
Like most plants, they need lots of water and sun to grow to their full potential, but heavily wet soil or too much irrigation can cause "root rot," a serious disease causing big problems for raspberries.
The plants are quite vigorous growers, and are sometimes quite invasive.
They tend to spread rather quickly if allowed to grow without proper pruning, especially because birds can carry the seeds quite far, leading many people to believe that the raspberry plant growing in their yard is really a weed.
A raspberry harvest takes place when the fruit can be pulled off the receptacle with ease, and has changed to its deep color.
At this time, the fruit is ripe, and will be most sweet.
Now is the time to pull out the canning jars and create some delicious raspberry jam! The raspberries' leaves can be used fresh or dried.
Sometimes they are used in herbal teas or medicines to regulate a woman's menstruation.
Many species of raspberries have even been cross-bread: red raspberries with black raspberries to make purple raspberries, for example.
There have been many resulting hybrids; boysenberry is one.
Sadly, raspberries are not immune to pests.
They are commonly attacked by wasps, butterflies, moths, gray mold, and verticillium wilt (caused by nearness to potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, or bulbs).
Raspberries do offer many health benefits.
They are a good source of energy, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.
They are chock-full of antioxidants, and have been linked in early medical research to prevention of inflammation, pain, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, allergies, cognitive decline (old-age), and degeneration of eyesight.
Raspberries are certainly a wonderful berry choice.
If you are looking for a berry to please your palate, raspberries offer sweet taste to savor and body benefits that can last a lifetime.