10 Fun Facts About Raspberries! — I like produce. I like to grow it. And I like to eat it. Plus I like to create recipes with it. I’m also kind of a nerd and like to get to know my produce. I like learning new or fun tidbits of info about the produce I’m growing/eating/baking. If you’re a weirdo like me then buckle up for this new series as I dive into a plethora of produce facts and share them with you. Here we go:
According to legend, raspberries were originally white. The nymph Ida pricked her finger while picking berries for the crying infant Jupiter, and raspberries have since been tinged red with her blood.
Makes the botanical name of the raspberry, Rubus idaeus, make a lot more sense. Rubus means “red,” and idaeus means “belonging to Ida.”
A raspberry is made up of many tiny bead-like fruits called “drupelets” clustered around a center core. Each drupelet contains one seed, and an average raspberry has 100 to 120 seeds. {Who knew?}
Raspberries are either red, purple, gold or black in color. Golden raspberries are a bit sweeter than the other varieties.
An old myth about raspberries originates in Germany and claims there are magical qualities of raspberries. It was believed that to tame a bewitched horse, one would have to tie a wild raspberry twig around the horse’s body.
It has been suggested that drinking raspberry leaf tea shortens the second stage of labor. {Oh please!}
Unlike many other fruits, unripe raspberries do not ripen after they are picked. If you want a ripe raspberry, you need to be patient!
But wait, there’s more!
The main difference between raspberries and blackberries is that raspberries have a hollow core in the middle while blackberries do not.
In the US, about 90% of all raspberries sold come from Washington, California and Oregon.
Blackberries are not the same as “black raspberries.” Blackberries have a “core” that stays in the fruit when it is picked, and, unlike black raspberry canes which grow upright, blackberry canes are long and trailing.
Had you heard any of those fun facts before? Do you have any of your own to add? Is there a particular produce item you want to know more about? I take requests!
Grow on,
~ Mavis
Load up on more produce facts HERE.
Recipe for a Simple Red Raspberry Pie
Leanna Thompson says
#6 – not sure about that but it does shorten recovery time. Also it helped to lighten my heavy cycles as I was going through perimenopause.
Elise in the SF Bay Area says
We just redid our back yard and planted 2 different varieties of raspberries, along with LOTS of other edibles. We’re gong to get about 8 raspberries this year! (I count ANY fruit in the first year as BONUS!) Looking forward to future years!
E in Upstate NY says
Planted Blackberries that were recommended for my region. BIG MISTAKE! They are horribly invasive and have painful thorns, including on the leaves. Each fall during cleanup, all leaves are “donated” to the city compost, not mine, as the tiny leaf thorns are the last to decompose. Nothing worse working compost and getting stuck with a leaf thorn. All pruning is done with leather gloves and long sleeves, weather permitting.
Mavis Butterfield says
Oh how I love blackberry pie. but those thorns…. ouch!
Linda Harper says
Buy the thornless. The best variety is triple berry. They are so prolific. We have a ton on our land and I just love them! The berries are the size of your thumb. One or two plants will be sufficient if you just eat them but we juice them and jam them and make pie filling! It’s changed my whole way of thinking about blackberries.
Donna says
I, too, enjoy growing, eating, and learning about produce and, now that you mention it, I think I could be called a produce nerd as well. Except for the difference between raspberries and blackberries, I had not heard any of these raspberry fun facts. Thanks for the little lesson on one of my favorite fruits!
Ramona says
I have a row of red raspberries and a row of golden raspberries, each row 40 feet. I get more that I can ever use so I share with neighbors. Also have some thorn less blackberries that are loaded and just starting to ripen. These were already planted at my house by previous owners so I don’t know the name of them.
Hanna McCown says
Raspberries are my favorite berry. The Raspberry leaf tea does indeed cause miscarriage which could be why the labor would be shortened. But it also provides numerous benefits. Your pie looks wonderful.
Jennifer m says
I drank tons of raspberry leaf and nettle tea with peppermint throughout six healthy pregnancies, and went on to safely deliver at home, less than 10 minutes of pushing for each one, and no they do not get easier the more you have!!
Susan S says
This is such a fun read! I loved learning about raspberries. If you’re taking requests, how about apricots? Those are another one of my favorites!
JoAnn Moran says
I wish they would grow in Colorado. Our growing season is so short. My husband is from originally from Oregon and I’m from California, and I do miss the things we could grow there.