Raspberries are extremely healthy and are now available in many supermarkets throughout the year. The delicious soft fruit contains valuable ingredients for the immune system. Raspberries should be bought fresh and consumed as soon as possible, because they do not keep long.
This is what you should know about the raspberry
The delicious berry fruit contains valuable ingredients for the immune system. Raspberries should be bought fresh and consumed as soon as possible, because they do not keep long. Raspberries belong to the rose family and grow very well in the gardens of Germany. They are native in their wild form mainly in the whole of Europe as well as in Western Siberia. Wild raspberries, however, bear much smaller fruits than cultivated raspberries, which are mainly found in the gardens of Germany and also form the basis for the harvest, which is then offered for sale at markets and grocery stores. In the meantime, however, raspberries have also been naturalized and grow in many other regions on earth, for example in Greenland, New Zealand and North America. Raspberries were already cultivated in this country in the Middle Ages and also had a good reputation as a medicinal plant. As early as 1601, Clusius (Charles de l’Écluse), a scholar, physician and botanist from the Netherlands. described different types of raspberries. Today there are many different varieties of cultivated raspberries, which are divided into summer and autumn raspberries. Summer raspberries are basically once-bearing varieties. After harvesting, they are cut to the ground. Autumn raspberries are different. They usually continue to bear fruit into November, should be cut down even then, but will soon sprout again. These new shoots are then not pruned. They already provide the new harvest in June. Autumn raspberries, however, do not bear as much fruit as the summer raspberries, which bear only once, but then abundantly. If raspberries grow in the garden or can be obtained cheaply, they are good for making jam or juice. The healthy fruits show their effect, however, especially when they are not cooked and should therefore in any case also be served raw on the table. From imports, fresh raspberries are still available in Germany even in winter and ensure that the immune system remains intact during the cold season.
Importance for health
For a long time, raspberries have been considered a natural remedy and particularly healthy. Even in the writings of Hildegard von Bingen, the raspberry is already described as helpful for various ailments. Both the raspberry juice and the fresh fruit and even the leaves are full of healthy ingredients and make the raspberry a real natural pharmacy. Meanwhile, the raspberry is even considered an insider tip when it comes to preventing cancer, because it stimulates the immune system like hardly any other fruit. This is due to the flavonoids it contains. To have such an effect, raspberries should be served fresh on the table frequently, for example in the form of a dessert. In addition, raspberries have a blood purifying effect, which is due to the citric acid contained in them. Raspberries have a blood-building effect because the combination of iron and vitamin C in this fruit is optimally composed. Furthermore, raspberries are particularly rich in calcium, magnesium and potassium. These three quantity elements are generally important for health. Folic acid is one of the vitamins that is rather scarce in many foods, but not in raspberries, because they contain plenty of folic acid. Above all, pregnant and breastfeeding women have a particularly high need for folic acid and iron. Raspberries can meet this need in a natural way.
Ingredients and nutritional values
100 g raspberries are particularly low in calories, with only 53 calories, but contain a wealth of vitamins minerals and other healthy ingredients. These include 0.02 mg vitamin B1, 0.05 mg vitamin B2, 0.08 mg vitamin B6, 25 mg vitamin C, 0.91 mg vitamin E and in minerals 170 mg potassium, 40 mg calcium, 30 mg magnesium, 1.3 mg sodium, 1 mg iron and 0.4 mg zinc. Furthermore, raspberries are rich in flavonoids, gallotannins, ellagitannins, fruit acids and colorant glycosides, which are so important for the immune system.
Intolerances and allergies
1 to 2% of all Germans react to certain foods with a wide variety of complaints such as stomach aches, hives, asthma, itching and various other allergic reactions. These foods often include fruits and vegetables and therefore raspberries can also trigger intolerances and allergic reactions in certain people. Cooked and steamed raspberries, like any form of fruit, are usually well tolerated by those with allergies, but not raw. In the case of raspberries, it is often the histamine or salisyl acid content that causes intolerance reactions after consumption. About tests at the doctor can easily find out whether an allergic reaction after eating raspberries really caused by these fruits or may have another cause.
Shopping and kitchen tips
Although raspberries are also available fresh in domestic supermarkets throughout the year, in most months they come from importing countries. Domestic raspberries are offered primarily in the months of July and August in larger quantities also particularly inexpensive, but there are them in smaller quantities already in June and also still into October from domestic cultivation. During the rest of the year, raspberries are imported from abroad, in some cases from specially equipped greenhouses, where the delicious fruits have good growing conditions even in winter. Raspberries are also offered in the form of frozen goods, raspberry jam or raspberry juice, providing another delicious alternative to the fresh fruit. Fresh raspberries should always be stored in a dry place and consumed immediately if possible, as they do not keep fresh for long. If this is not possible, frozen goods are an alternative.
Preparation tips
Raspberries are very suitable for the preparation of desserts, pies or fresh juices. The fresher the fruit, the better it is. They harmonize well with yogurt, cottage cheese, pudding, ice cream and whipped cream or other fresh fruits in a fruit salad. On a cake, raspberries are not only very healthy, but also look delicious because they give beautiful splashes of color, for example, on a layer of whipped cream. The bright red fruits combine well with chocolate sprinkles, nut and almond slivers. Coconut flakes and raspberries also taste great when mixed with whipped cream, custard, yogurt and more. These inexpensive summer fruits also work well made into juice or jam.
