Like many people from Northwest Washington, I spend the summer working with raspberries. For about 12 hours a day, I look at thousands upon thousands of raspberries, giving me lots of time to think about the delicious berries. My hometown, Lynden, WA, just had their annual Raspberry Festival this weekend, so in homage to one of our staple crops, here's a few reasons why raspberries are cool.
1. Raspberries smell amazing.
I wish I could capture the smell of the evening air as you drive by raspberry fields with the windows rolled down. After being in the hot sun all day, the air is heavy with the sweet scent of ripe raspberries.
2. They happen to be pretty darn healthy.
Raspberries are high in fiber because each druplet (the little segments) is covered in an exterior membrane. Compared to most fruits, they have a higher ratio of "skin" to flesh, meaning more fiber per bite! Raspberries are also a good source of Vitamin C, and compared to other berries, low in sugar content. As if we needed another reason to eat raspberries.
3. Raspberries come in multiple colors.
While red is the most common color, raspberries also come in yellow/golden, purple, and black. One difference between black raspberries and blackberries is in the core; on a raspberry, the core stays on the plant after harvesting, while the core remains inside the berry when a blackberry is picked.
4. Raspberries can be stored frozen.
Once raspberries are frozen, they can be stored for extended periods of time. Raspberries that have been frozen for five years still taste the same as the ones frozen for a month.
5. Washington is perfect for raspberries.
Washington State grows 95 percent of the nation's red raspberries. Raspberries require around 6-7 hours of sunlight per day, but do best in temperatures in the 70s during growing season and chillier winters. Northwest Washington combines this climate with well drained soil, which is essential for preventing root rot, making it an ideal area for raspberry growers.
6. Raspberry harvesting is a great summer job.
The harvesting season for raspberries is typically mid-June to late-July, meaning that students are easily able to work on berry farms. Whether it's out in the fields or in one of the processing plants, working in agriculture provides new challenges every day.
7. Raspberries are an incredibly delicate fruit.
If raspberries are handled too much they turn to mush, and it they are frozen too cold, they crumble into a hundred little pieces literally called crumbles. This means that only the highest quality berries make it to the end of production.
To me there is nothing that tastes more like summer than a handful (or five) of perfectly ripened raspberries. Go out and get yourself some of "nature's candy," raspberries.
