This tart red berry is one of the most delicious & nourishing fruits on the planet. Let’s learn more with these fun facts about raspberries!
Contents:
1. What country produces the most raspberries?
We were actually shocked by the top-5 raspberry producing countries. Did you know that Russia produces the most? We’re talking about 182,000 tons!
The other countries rounding out the top-5 are Mexico (146,000 tons), Poland (121,000 tons), Serbia (118,000 tons) and the US (100,000 tons).
2. What vitamins and minerals are in raspberries?
Get ready for a healthy boost of vitamins when chowing down on delicious raspberries! In 3.5 oz (100 g) of raspberries you will find 32% of your daily vitamin C, 32% of daily manganese and 7% of daily vitamin E and K.
Also, raspberries only have a 4% sugar content making them one of the healthiest fruits for diabetics.
3. Are raspberries from the new world or old world?
Raspberries were originally native to eastern Asia. However, the plant spread (as raspberries tend to do) to cover vast swaths of Europe as well.
The hardiness of the raspberry allows it to be grown in colder climates, with the berry becoming one of the most popular for backyard fruit growing in the USA and Canada.
4. Raspberries used to be white?
We’re about to dive into some fascinating etymology here. The botanical name of raspberries is Rubus idaeus.
Rubus of course means ruby red, but idaeus refers to Ida. Who’s Ida? A nymph who pricked her finger picking berries for the Roman god, Jupiter. The legend is that raspberries were white until Ida bled onto them! We bet you didn’t know that raspberry fact!
5. Raspberries share a few interesting relatives
Did you know that raspberries are actually in the same family as the rose? The family of plants also known as rosaceae are known for producing many of the most delicious fruits including, apples, pears, plums, cherries and peaches.
6. The fiber in raspberries packs a punch!
Getting an adequate amount of fiber in your diet leads to weight loss, regularity, lower cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure. And that’s just to name a few of the benefits!
And raspberries are the poster-child of high fiber fruits. In 3.5 oz (100 g) of raspberries there is 8.0 g of fiber. This beats out all other fruits!
7. What makes raspberries so red?
The health benefits of raspberries just keep on coming! The bright red color is actually due to the high level of antioxidants in each berry.
Anthocyanins are responsible for any of the purple, blue or red colors seen in nature including blueberries, purple cabbage, pansies and even black rice.
8. Can you eat raspberry leaves?
The leaves of raspberry plants are non-toxic and can be used to make herbal teas. However, the taste is actually quite astringent and not very nice to drink at all.
As a home remedy, and popular in Chinese medicine, raspberry leaf tea is used to treat menstrual cramps and boost uterine health in women.
9. The two pests out to destroy raspberries
Even the insect world can’t resist eating raspberries! The raspberry beetle in Europe is known as a widespread pest feasting on raspberry plants throughout the continent.
In North America, it’s the raspberry fruitworm who is the culprit. Sadly, raspberry bushes often have to be sprayed with pesticides to keep the plants from dying.
10. A quick raspberry gardening tip
It’s super-important to choose carefully where you plant your raspberry bushes. In fact, anywhere there was previous potato, eggplant, tomato or pepper plant is a huge mistake.
The soil of these plants holds a fungus called Verticillium wilt and can linger for many years and is absolutely fatal to raspberry plants.
11. The name with two possible origins
It is still unclear how the raspberry got its name. One theory is that it’s derived from the 15th-century Anglo-Latin word raspise meaning rose-colored wine. The other possible origin is raspoie, a Germanic word meaning thicket.
12. What on earth is blue raspberry?
Have you ever seen a blue raspberry growing out in the wild? No? We haven’t either! In fact, the popular flavor does not derive from raspberries at all. Instead it uses banana, cherry, and pineapple esters to create the taste profile.
And don’t forget the synthetic food-coloring that gives blue raspberry its signature electric blue color.
13. Are frozen raspberries still good for you?
Here’s one of those fun facts about raspberries we weren’t expecting. Frozen raspberries are actually better for you than fresh!
When raspberries are frozen they are at their peak ripeness allowing for their nutrients to be preserved efficiently. This differs from buying fresh in that unfrozen berries may go rancid, mold, or be unripe.
14. What’s the difference between raspberries and blackberries?
It’s all about the torus! And no we’re not talking about the astrological symbol. The torus is the core of the berry.
When picked, the raspberry releases its torus leaving a hollow opening inside the fruit, while the blackberry leaves the torus intact. This is also why raspberries are much more delicate to ship and handle.
15. The spread of raspberries in Europe
In medieval times raspberries were actually used as a dye for clothing. If you’ve ever sat on a raspberry you know that it leaves quite an impression!
It wasn’t until the 13th century when King Edward I encouraged raspberries to be cultivated and spread throughout the United Kingdom. And not just for dyeing, but for eating.
16. How do I get a raspberry stain out?
Don’t worry, we’re here with all the practical tips you might need if you get too voracious with your raspberry gobbling and leave a blotchy red stain on your shirt!
First soak the stain in cool water, then add a tablespoon of distilled vinegar with a drop of laundry detergent and soak for 15 minutes, then rinse.
17. The most famous raspberry song
“She wore a Raspberry Beret! The kind you’d find in a second-hand store.” Do we have you singing along?
Who other than the music megastar Prince to bring raspberries to the world of pop music. In fact, the color of raspberry is popular in clothing throughout the world including in flags and national costumes.
18. This town loves its raspberries
Prince is famously from Minnesota, and so is the raspberry capital of the United States. Head on over to Hopkins in Minnesota for not only a serving of raspberries, but also the world’s largest!
That’s right, Hopkins has erected a half-ton fiberglass raspberry that hangs from a 22-foot steel stem. Check it out at the Hopkins Raspberry Festival every July.
19. How many varieties of raspberries are there?
While you might have one particular image of a raspberry in your mind when you think of the fruit, there are actually over 200 different varieties!
Some of our favourite named varieties include Cascade Dawn, Titan, Rafiki, Jambo and Kiwi Gold.
20. The raspberry producers of America
If you’re eating a raspberry in the United States there is an 80% chance that raspberry was grown in California. In fact, California produces over 80,000 tons of raspberries every year. Other states that grow raspberries for export include Oregon, Washington and Minnesota.
21. It’s the day to celebrate raspberries!
National Raspberry Day is celebrated every year on 8th July. This is the perfect time to celebrate the humble red fruit as the first raspberries are just becoming ripe on their bushes.
Other national raspberry days include National Raspberry Cake Day on 31st July and National Raspberry Bombe Day on 11th August.
Who wants more fun facts?
If you’re looking for some recommendations, these are a few of our favorite fact books to buy. We use these when planning fun trivia nights with family and friends!
We really hope you enjoyed all our fun facts about raspberries! Did you learn something new?
If there’s any raspberry facts we missed, you can let us know in the comments below and we’ll add them to this article!