Nature provides so many needed nutrients in relatively tiny, little berries. From blueberries to strawberries, they are all powerhouses of nutrients. This week, I want to talk about raspberries. Rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, raspberries are a delicious fruit with many health benefits.
Nature provides so many needed nutrients in relatively tiny, little berries. From blueberries to strawberries, they are all powerhouses of nutrients. This week, I want to talk about raspberries. Rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, raspberries are a delicious fruit with many health benefits.
Raspberries are a red fruit very similar to blackberries and are from the rose family, just like the strawberry. They grow on tall, prickly canes and are made of several drupelets. Unlike the blackberry, the stem comes completely out of the fruit leaving a hole in the center.
Raspberries are packed with cancer- fighting antioxidants. They have one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of any fruit on earth, almost 10x as much as tomatoes. Raspberries also contain ellagic acid, a natural phenol antioxidant found in fruits and veggies. Studies have revealed raspberry phytonutrients have an important role in lowering oxidative stress, reducing inflammation, and thereby altering the development or reproduction of cancer cells.
This fruit is high in dietary fiber and manganese. Fiber aids in slowing down the digestive process, making you feel fuller for longer. The trace mineral manganese keeps your metabolic rate high, and thereby burns fat. If you are looking for a delicious and effective way to lose weight, raspberries can be a great natural option.
Raspberries can efficiently stop undesirable damage to cell membranes by neutralizing free radicals. Ellagic acid is a phytonutrient component of raspberries with key substances like kaempferol, quercetin, and the cyanidin- based molecules called cyanidin- 3-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-glucosyl- rutinoside. These molecules are again broken into anthocyanins, which give raspberries their rich, red color. The anthocyanins of raspberries are responsible for their unique antioxidant properties and also some antimicrobial ones. This promptly cuts down the overgrowth of certain bacteria and fungi in the body. These growths often lead to different vaginal infections and sometimes even result in irritable bowel syndrome.
They are generally good for all, especially pregnant women and lactating mothers. Raspberry leaves can be used as herbal teas for women. The tea can regulate menstrual cycles and decrease excessively heavy menstrual flows. For pregnant women, raspberry tea successfully relieves nausea, prevents hemorrhaging, reduces pain, and helps in childbirth. For lactating mothers, raspberry tea or eating the fruit helps increase the production of breast milk.
Three servings of raspberries per day can prove to be a brilliant natural remedy for macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is an age-related medical condition that affects your vision. This leads to a loss of vision in the midpoint of the visual field due to damage to the retina. Raspberries work like magic on wrinkles. They protect the skin from the harmful sun rays. The antioxidant powers of vitamin C effectively reduce the age spots and discoloration. By filling in minor wrinkles, they can help you restore your youthful appearance.
Raspberries are like the other fruits, best picked when ripe. They will not continue to ripen once picked and start to spoil in 3 to 4 days. You can refrigerate them to add a few days to their shelf life. However, when storing it’s best to lay them on a paper towel in a single layer to help them last longer. Do not wash until you are ready to use as this will cause them to lose flavor and nutrients more quickly as well. Freezing them however, will cause them to last for about 6 months. To freeze, wash and dry well. Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze for 4 hours. Then, place in Ziploc baggies and remove as much air as possible. Pick up some raspberries this weekend and meet me in the kitchen for some delicious recipes (ask my coworkersthey love the goodies I bring) using this fantastic fruit.
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Raspberry Muffins
1 cup fresh raspberries ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided ¼ cup butter, softened 1 large egg, room temperature ½ tsp. almond extract 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2¼ cups all-purpose flour 3 tsps. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt 1 cup half-and-half 1 cup finely chopped vanilla or white chips 2 Tbsps. brown sugar Preheat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, toss raspberries with 1/4 cup sugar and set aside. In large bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with cream, just until moistened. Stir in chips and reserved raspberry mixture. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Combine brown sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Sprinkle over batter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.
Recipe adapted from tasteofhome. com.
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Raspberry Swirl Pound Cake 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup sugar 4 large eggs ¼ tsp salt 2 tsps pure vanilla extract ¼ cup sour cream 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ tsp. baking powder 1 Tbsp. lemon juice â cup seedless raspberry fruit spread Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9x5inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment cream butter and sugar together at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at time and beat well for about 30 seconds after adding each egg. Add salt, vanilla extract and sour cream. In small bowl combine flour and baking powder. With stand mixer running on low add 1 cup of flour mixture, beat for 30 seconds. Add second cup and beat for 30 seconds. Transfer 1/3 of batter into another bowl. Add raspberry jam and beat until combined. Add 2-3 drops of gel food color if desired. Add lemon juice to other dough and beat until combined. Add layer of white batter to your loaf pan. Top with pink dough and finish with white dough. Use knife to swirl doughs together lightly. Bake for 60-65 min or until skewer inserted in center comes out clean with only few crumbs attached. If your pound cake browns too quickly cover with aluminum foil. Let cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Lift out of pan and let it cool completely on cooling rack.
Recipe adapted from platedcravings. com.
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Raspberry Cookies
½ cup butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 large egg, room temperature ¼ tsp. salt 1 tsp. lemon extract 2-3 Tbsps. lemon juice ¼ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. baking soda 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1½ cup frozen raspberries Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In bowl of stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Reduce to low speed and add vanilla extract, egg, salt, lemon extract and lemon juice. Mix well, scraping down sides of bowl when needed. In separate mixing bowl, sift together baking powder, baking soda and flour. With mixer on low, slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just combined. Use rubber spatula or wooden spoon and mix in frozen raspberries, but do not overmix. Using cookie scoop, drop dough onto prepared cookie sheet, about 1 heaping tablespoon per cookie. The dough is sticky so it is much more difficult, messy, and time-consuming to use a regular spoon, so use scoop if you have one. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until they are no longer shiny on the top and they are just starting to turn golden brown around the edges. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to cooling rack to cool completely.
Recipe adapted from theforkedspoon. com.
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Raspberry Sherbet
1½-2 cups frozen raspberries 1 cup sugar, more or less to taste 1-2 cups heavy cream Add all ingredients to blender. Pulverize until raspberries are completely processed. Taste and adjust flavor as desired. If you like it tart go with the full 2 cups raspberries. If you want it sweeter, just use 1½ cup raspberries. Add sugar until desired sweetness. If you like your sherbet super creamy, use full 2 cups cream. Mixture will be thick regardless. Add mix to ice cream maker and process according to machine’s instructions. Or if you have no ice cream maker, pour into freezer safe air tight container. Stir twice an hour until too solid to do so.
