Blackberries

About: The blackberry, along with its relatives the raspberry, marionberry, loganberry and young berry, is not technically a berry. Instead, it is an aggregate fruit, composed of many small drupelets (the juice filled parts that resemble water droplets). You might be thinking: if blackberries are not berries, what the heck is a berry? The answer: tomatoes, grapes, and other sorts that look like one big drupelet.

Nutritional Information: According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry blackberries rank highly among fruits for antioxidant strength. They are a very good source of dietary fiber (1 cup has 31% DV), Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and Manganese. Read more...

Storage: Blackberries mold quickly when left at room temperature, but they last 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Do not wash until ready to use. If they are on the verge of going bad, freeze them. Just wash, remove as much water as possible, and then put them in a plastic bag and squeeze the air out.

Tips: Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.

Quick Fix: Sprinkle a bit of sugar and lemon juice to the berries to balance out the slightly bitter flavor of the fruit.

Recipes: Lavender Poached Peaches and Blackberries, Peach Blackberry Compote with Basil Syrup