Raspberry
Also called Raspberries · Red raspberry · European raspberryRubus idaeus · Rosaceae family
Tender hollow fruit that rewards shallow containers and a short journey from harvest to eating.
Find it near DetroitGet to know it
A raspberry is a tender little cup of fruit: pull it from the plant and the core stays behind. Its flavour can lean sweet or tart, from the rich sweetness of Caroline to the sharper bite of Nova. Even a yellow raspberry belongs to the red raspberry group.
What it is
The familiar red raspberry is Rubus idaeus. Each fruit is usually less than 2.5 cm (1 in) long, built from small, rounded fruits pressed together around a hollow centre. The tender fruit can be crushed under the weight of its neighbours.
Yellow raspberries are red raspberries that do not make the red pigment. Variety matters for flavour: Caroline is rich and sweet, while Nova has a little more tartness.
Where it comes from
The European red raspberry comes from Europe and Asia. North America has its own closely related red raspberry, too.
In the US, Washington is the centre of the frozen red raspberry crop: its growers and processors supply about 90% of American-grown frozen red raspberries. Fruit is picked ripe and frozen within hours, often on the same farm. Some of the crop becomes purée or concentrated juice.
How it's eaten where it grows
In Scotland, cranachan layers crushed raspberries with whipped cream, toasted oats, honey and whisky. Whole raspberries and a scattering of oats finish the glass. The oats can stay crisp when served straight away or soften into the cream while the dessert rests in the fridge.
Raspberry also makes a smooth sauce: in US kitchens, melba sauce is raspberry purée pushed through a sieve to remove the seeds, then spooned over peaches, ice cream or frozen yogurt.
How it's grown
Raspberry roots live on from year to year, but each stem, called a cane, lasts only two summers. Summer-fruiting plants grow to about 1.8 m (6 ft), and do well in cooler places with sun and soil that drains freely.
Summer varieties fruit on canes grown the year before. Autumn varieties can fruit on new canes in their first season. These two growth patterns let growers stretch the harvest across summer and autumn.
When and where you'll find it
In Minnesota, summer raspberries are usually picked in July and August; autumn-bearing varieties follow in August and September. Fresh berries keep for only a day or two in the fridge. A shallow container protects the bottom berries from being crushed; they stay unwashed until it is time to eat them.
The US supermarket freezer aisle offers another route: whole frozen raspberries, either on their own or in mixed-berry bags. Washington fruit reaches shops in both forms.
Sources · 7
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolboxplants.ces.ncsu.edu
- NC State Extension, Southeast Regional Caneberry Production Guidecontent.ces.ncsu.edu
- Ohio State University Extensionohioline.osu.edu
- Royal Horticultural Societyrhs.org.uk
- Scottish Scran, Phil and Sonjascottishscran.com
- University of Minnesota Extensionextension.umn.edu
- Washington Red Raspberry Commissionredrazz.orgOther pages2
Get it near Detroit
What it tastes like
As soft as a banana, as tart as a kiwifruit≈
More about the taste
Red raspberry varieties differ: Caroline is rich and sweet, Nova is slightly tart. The ripe fruit is tender, made of tiny drupelets around a hollow center.
Red raspberry is sweet, eaten fresh or used in pies, preserves and wine. Sweetness, firmness and aroma vary by variety.
A tasting invitation
Try a red and a yellow raspberry if both are available. Notice fragrance, acidity and how readily the berry collapses - color doesn't reliably predict sweetness.
Choose, ripen, store, eat
1ChooseDeveloped color
Look for
- Developed color
- Plumpness
- Tenderness
- Comes away easily
Ignore
- Redness
Look for developed color, plumpness and tenderness. On the plant, ripe fruit comes away easily with a gentle pull.
2RipenDoesn’t ripen after picking
Doesn’t ripen after pickingAllow berries to reach their ripe color and detach easily on the plant, picking them as they ripen over the harvest period.
3StoreFridge, unwashed
- FridgeUnwashedShallow, covered container
Refrigerate straight after picking in a shallow container so the fruit does not crush itself. Wait to wash until just before eating.
4EatWhole ripe fruit
Eat
Whole ripe fruitThe whole ripe fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. For a smoother sauce, the cheesecake recipe removes seeds with a fine strainer.
More tips
A useful detail A raspberry leaves its central receptacle behind when picked, giving it a hollow center; a blackberry carries that core with it. It's an easy distinction to see at the table.
Worth knowing
- Jaclyn raspberries aren't all the same; taste named local lots.
Detroit, Michigan
When it’s good hereUsual monthsJust arrivedAt their bestLast chanceAll yearWhere it is in its usual monthsToday, Oct 22Grown hereIn season in your stateShips fromIn season where it grows
48 growing areas, 14 countriesUsual monthsOur estimated monthsToday, Oct 22
- Araucanía
- Baden-Württemberg +4
- Bay of Plenty
- British Columbia
- Bursa
- Cáceres +1
- California
- Florida
- Granada
- Hawaii
- Herefordshire
- Jalisco
- Maule
- Mendoza
- Quebec
- South Australia
- Yunnan
- You
13 of 26 areas · October
Growing areas by country
- United States14
- Spain6
- Canada4
- Chile4
- France4
- Australia3
- United Kingdom3
- Argentina2
and 9 more countriesand 6 more countries
Raspberry canes fruit differently depending on type: primocanes (current-year growth) versus floricanes (second-year canes). Fruiting habit and pruning determine whether a planting produces a summer crop, a later crop, or both.
166 varieties
- No variety photo yetBT RasTwo
- Taste
- sweet
- Scent
- aromatic
- No variety photo yetSapphire
- Taste
- sweet
- Scent
- aromatic
- Feel
- firm
- No variety photo yetAdvabertwee
- Juice
- juicy
- No variety photo yetAtena
- Feel
- firm
- No variety photo yetBethan
- Taste
- sweet
- Feel
- firm
- No variety photo yetBonnie Lewis
- Taste
- sweet
31 names in 12 languages
- แรสเบอร์รีแดงThai
Cook it
How to serve it first
Place raspberries on a simple bowl of yogurt or a slice of cake after other preparation is finished. If the fruit is sound but too soft for a neat garnish, turn a small portion into a quick fresh sauce.
4 raspberry festivalsUsual monthToday, Oct 22
Strange but trueHistoryScienceWhere the name came fromFood and drink
If you like Raspberry
Tastes alike
Close relatives
Nutrition, sources
Nutrition
Raspberries, raw · per 100 g
- Carbohydrate
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 6.5 g
- Sugars
- 4.4 g
- Protein
- 1.2 g
- Fat
- 0.7 g
- Vitamin C
- 26 mg
- Potassium
- 151 mg
Photos · 4
Sources
Raspberry · Fruitopia · checked Sep 21, 2026
What we don't know yet
A generic shop label rarely says which variety or fruiting type it is.