My pick of the week this week is raspberries. Raspberries flush twice through the year, now for about ten to 14 days and again in early Autumn. These summer raspberries are just a delight at this time. Great for dessert or breakfast added to mangoes and the other berries, they are just so good on the warm days we are now enjoying. Unfortunately this big flush of mostly Victorian raspberries tends to peter out before Christmas and they just don’t keep that well that you can confidently store them now for Christmas. Then the Tasmanian fruit gets underway but there is less of these and there is often a gap of a week between crops.
Raspberries are about 1.5-2cm long, cylinder-shaped, with deep red colouring and a sweet flavour. They actually consist of a collection of tiny fruits, each with its own seed covered in red skin and flesh, which form a helmet-shaped cluster around a small stem. When harvested the cluster comes away from the stem leaving a hollow in the centre.
Raspberries are a top source of dietary fibre, an excellent source of vitamin C and a source of folate and vitamin E.
HOW TO PICK
Look for brightly-coloured raspberries with plump, blemish-free skin.
HOW TO STORE
Remove from the punnet and place unwashed on paper towel on a plate. Cover with plastic and store in refrigerator for a couple of days. Raspberries are highly perishable. Use as soon as possible and only wash just before eating.
