Raspberry Berret

Who doesn't like fresh raspberries? As winter, at least in my part of the country, is entering into the second half early producing fruits and veggies are on my mind.

If you want an early shot of confidence and instant gratification in growing stuff in the garden raspberries are a good choice. There are dozes of different varieties but for early spring planting you want summer bearing plants. Raspberry plants will be making their early season appearance at garden centers across the country in the coming weeks. Raspberries should be planted in full sun and like good dose of compost fertilization. After your plants set fruit and they ripen to a ruby red like above cut the cane, the stem that the fruit grew on, back to the ground leaving about an 1-2 inches.

From a culinary perspective raspberries are awesome. A very complex flavor that tip-toes the line between bitter and sweet. IMO, raspberries are best fresh tossed with just a bit of sugar a pinch of salt, and orange zest and allowed to sit until they just begin to soften, approximately 10 minutes for a cup of raspberries. For an added twist toss in about a 1/8 of a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to the above.

If you have or haven't grown raspberries or if you're a fresh raspberry or raspberry gelato person, the time is almost upon us for fresh picked berries.