Raspberries: Summer Powerfood

Sweet juicy raspberries are so good! They grow abundantly in my garden – every day for the last month, a joyful part of my daily schedule was picking these red ripe treasures.

Did You Know?

Raspberries are a member of the rose family.
Some cultures consider the raspberry to be love-inducing.
They are not just red: there are also black, purple and gold raspberries.
The average raspberry has 100 to 120 seeds.
Unripe raspberries do not ripen after they are picked.

The good news is that raspberries are one of the powerfoods, along with saskatoons and apples.

Raspberry Benefits:

Helps keep your metabolic rate high with high levels of the trace mineral manganese.
One of the top 10 antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables.
Has twice the ORAC value (antioxidant) of oranges or apples and higher than blueberries.
Contain ellagic acid, a natural substance which is an anti-carcinogenic (cancer-preventing).
High in vitamin C. One cup provides over half your daily requirement
Has more fiber than most fruits. One cup of raspberries provides over 8 grams of dietary fiber.
The seeds are rich in vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids and have a natural SPF (sun protection factor) of 25 to 50.
Naturally have no cholesterol and no sodium.
One cup has only 64 calories with a low-glycemic index.
Raspberry leaf tea is commonly used during pregnancy to combat the nausea of morning sickness.
The sugars in raspberries are natural and healthy.

Raspberries are very easy to grow. I started with one raspberry bush 11 years ago and now have a big raspberry patch! I picked over 8 buckets full this summer. In fact, I have been having buckets full for at least 7 years.

Right now, I a eat a large bowl of raspberries (after I pick them) every morning for breakfast. Mmmmm. I just love being able to do that.

What do I do with all those raspberries?

Freeze lots of them so I have fruit all year. Do you know how to freeze your own berries? Read here - How to Freeze Your Own Berries
Make Raspberry “Vinaigrette.”
Make jam. My favorite is Apple-Raspberry Jam
Dehydrate.
Give some to neighbors and friends.
And of course I eat lots of them while they are fresh and in season.

Recipes with Raspberries:
Apple-Raspberry Jam
Raspberry “Vinaigrette“

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

LMj S.

8:04PM PST on Feb 12, 2012

wow, had no idea so yummy and good too, thank you!

send a green star

ii q.

10:34AM PST on Feb 12, 2012

Michele W.

1:04AM PDT on Oct 16, 2011

Thank you

KS G.

5:47AM PDT on Sep 22, 2011

Thanks for the article.

Jane H.

2:26PM PDT on Sep 17, 2011

Raspberries are my favorite fruit--I am soooo drawn to them!! I guess I must always need all the good they have to give us!

Lika S.

12:33AM PDT on Sep 11, 2011

And is there a difference between black raspberries and blackberries, I think - maybe?

Anyway, I love all berries. Raspberries are good with cereal, by themselves, with cream, ice cream, yogurt, smoothies, fruit salad, preserves - my favorite is strawberry-raspberry.

Alicia N.

9:53PM PDT on Sep 2, 2011

what? omega- 3 fatty acids and a natural SPF !!!!! besides being delicious? ? yahooo.... thanks for this great info.

Beverly G.

11:28AM PDT on Sep 2, 2011

i love them my favorite, I have bushes in my garden for 3-4 yrs now and they are spreadin yummy

Penny C.

8:09AM PDT on Sep 2, 2011

Love them!

Nola g.

7:07AM PDT on Sep 2, 2011

I also have a really big raspberry patch. I have all of them, black, purple & golden. People really flip for the golden raspberry jam. I'm kinda known as the raspberry jam lady. My daughter teases me all the time, that I have a cult. People just flip for the jam. I trade for sockeye salmon with my brother. I give away so many cases of jam every year.