Facts and Frequently Asked Questions About Washington Red Raspberries
Why Washington?
It’s the fertile land and cool climate on the west side of the Cascade Mountains plus the expertise and care of Washington growers that makes Washington berries so good. The farms here are mostly small family and several generation operations, with a strong connection to the land and a commitment to growing, harvesting and processing premium quality berries.
Washington grows 60% of the country’s berries and 90% of those are processed as Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)Berries, concentrates, purees and other products. For more information about processed berries for commercial uses go to www.red-raspberry.org.
Are berries nutritious?
Yes, indeed. One cup of raspberries has only 70 calories but provides 50% of a day's requirement of vitamin C, 32% of fiber, 6% of folat, and 5%, of potassium, and all with only 1 gram of fat (none of it saturated or transfats) and, no cholestorol.
In addition to being high in antioxidants (see below), raspberries contain several phytochemicals (individual compounds from plants) reported to have health benefits. These include: quercetin, anthocyanins, ellagic acid, salicylic acid and others.
More and more research studies are showing many health benefits from eating raspberries. Please click here to go to the Health and Nutrition page for a summary of the latest nutrition research and specifics about raspberries’ nutrient benefits.
What are antioxidants?
Raspberries rank in the top ten of fruits and vegetables for antioxidant content. Antioxidants are substances in food which can prevent or slow oxidative damage. Heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, cancer and other diseases are all caused by oxidation. Antioxidants can help immune defense and lower risk of these diseases. Click here to go to the nutrition page for more information about recent research.
Why processed berries?
Everyday convenience, consistent quality, peak flavor and nutrition, and cost. Processed berries capture the berry’s flavor and texture while at the peak of perfection to make them available in a variety of convenient forms all year ‘round. Washington processors now use state of the art flash freezing for Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) berries, found in bags in the frozen food section. These individual berries pour right from the bag and are perfect for smoothies, baking, on cereal, in yogurt and more. In addition to consistent quality and no worries about waste, IQF berries are reasonably priced – all year around.
Why do raspberries have so many seeds?
A single raspberry (Rubus idaeus) is actually many little fruits or drupelets, all clustered together, each with its own seed. The seeds provide the fiber and also may contribute other nutrition benefits. For those who prefer their raspberries without seeds, just press thawed whole raspberries through a fine sieve, or seek out some of the excellent raspberry purees available.
How do I use frozen raspberries?
In almost every way that you would use fresh. We suggest you let the berries stand a few minutes at room temperature before adding to cold cereals, stirring into yogurt, scattering over salads or enjoying as is.
For all other preparations, you can use the berries right out of the bag, in their frozen state. Stir them into hot oatmeal or other cereal, for example. Or add to baked goods such a brownies, muffins, cakes. Drop several frozen berries into cold drinks, such as lemonade or iced tea. You can even use frozen raspberries to make raspberry freezer jam. CLICK HERE to go to our recipe page for some great suggestions.
