Red Raspberries

Members of the rose family, raspberries are typically red-pink in color, but actually come in a range of colors including black, purple, orange, yellow and white.

Washington accounts for nearly 60% of the U.S. production of red raspberries, at nearly 70,000,000 pounds per year.

A raspberry plant may live and produce fruit for more than 30 years as long as it is properly cared for.

Black Raspberries

The black raspberry, also called the black cap raspberry, was introduced to the United States in the 1840's.

Black raspberries are harder to maintain than red because they are more prone to diseases and less hardy.

North America is the only continent native to the black raspberries.

The picking season is much shorter than red raspberries.

Tips For Getting the Ripest Reds Out There

Avoid berries that are light red in color, and berries with white or yellow tips. Pick the fruits when they have turned a deep red and drop off easily from the core when touched. This is when the fruits are most ripe and sweetest.

Be careful not to fill your containers too full or else you will have smashed berries on the bottom.

Tips For Getting Beautiful Blacks

Avoid all the red berries, they are not red raspberries, they are just unripe black ones. Pick only the berries that are a deep purple, just about black color.

The best way make sure you are picking ripe black raspberries is by the way they seperate from the bush. You should be able to just roll your fingers across them into your bucket.

Be careful not to fill your containers too full or else you will have smashed berries on the bottom.

Karalee's Triple Berry Jam

This is an excellent way to use the berries that you pick, especially if you pick a lot and find them going bad faster than you can eat them.

What you will need:

1/2 Pint Glass Canning Jars

Canning Lids, unused

1 quart Blueberries

1/2 pint Red Raspberries

1/2 pint Black Raspberries

6 cups Sugar

1 package Surejell Fruit Pectin

 

Preparing the Jars and Lids:

Put the glass jars in the oven on low.

Place the lids in boiling water. Remove after several minutes.

 

Making Your Jelly

Clean the fruit, slice the blueberries and smash the raspberries. Smash them in the pot so you do not lose any juice. Stir in the Surejell Pectin and turn burner on high.

Measure out 6 cups of sugar in a seperate bowl.

Continue to stir berries. Bring to a full boil and add all the sugar at once. Stiring constantly, bring to a rolling boil and boil for exactly one minute. Remove from heat and immediately ladel jelly into heated glass jars. Leave about 1/4" space in the top. Make sure the rims of the jar are clean. Place the lids on top and screw the bands on tightly. Invert the jars all at one time and leave them upside down for 5 minutes. Then flip them upright and let them sit till cool. You will hear popping sounds, the lids are sealing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picking Black Raspberries

Fall Red Raspberries

Black Raspberries

Summer Red Raspberries

Fall Red Raspberries