All About Raspberries

Raspberries have a sweet-tart flavor that is delicious straight off the bramble or out of the box. Their small size is also great for sprinkling onto cereal or yogurt for breakfast, or into salads for a bit of color, texture, and not-overwhelming-sweetness.

My favorite way to eat raspberries is with whipped cream. Lightly sweetened, perfectly soft whipped cream (see how to make it with this guide to How to Make Whipped Cream). I either dollop it onto top of a pile of raspberries, make the slightly more elegant Raspberry Parfaits, or mix it up with a delicious Raspberry Fool (pictured here).

Black raspberries (pictured here with their red and golden brethren), also known as "black caps," are my hands-down favorite berry. Despite common mis-wisdom, black raspberries are not blackberries. They are deeply, darkly pigmented raspberries, with hollow cores that differentiate them from blackberries. Black raspberries are a bit drier, like their red counterparts. Along with a wonderfully deep and intense berry flavor, black raspberries are also chock full of antioxidants – surpassing even the famed superfruit blueberry in antioxidant power.

Golden raspberries are a beautiful, truly golden color. They are great for livening up a fruit plate, using as garnish in berry-laden dishes, or using in place of red raspberries with the color works.