Title: Berry Basics
Categories: Dessert Fruit
Yield: 1 Servings

TYPES OF BERRIES

SEASON: All year, depending on variety.

LOOK FOR: Plump, fresh looking, uniformly colored fruit free of stems and leaves. Avoid berries that are moldy, crushed, or bruised, or that have leaked moisture, staining the carton. Varieties of berries include:

BLACKBERRIES: Purplish black, cone shaped berries grown on climbing vines. Look for them during the summer months, mainly June and July.

BLUEBERRIES: Flat, round berries ranging in color from purplish blue to almost black, with a soft, silvery, powder "bloom" -- a natural protective waxy coating. Blueberries vary from the size of a pea to more than 1 inch in diameter. Supplies are best from June through August.

BOYSENBERRIES: Large, dark, blackberry like berries with a rich, tart, raspberry flavor. Available during the summer months.

CURRANTS: Small, round berries that are red, black, or white in color. red currants are the most available; they are very tart but can be eaten fresh if sugared. Look for currants during the simmer, mainly July and August.

DEWBERRIES: Berries resembling blackberries in appearance and flavor though they grow on trailing, ground running vines. Look for them during the summer months.

GOOSEBERRIES: Berries resembling small, striped grapes and ranging in color from pale green to amber to brilliant red. They are tart and are therefore generally served cooked. Look for them in June and July.

LOGANBERRIES: Large, long berries, reddish in color, with raspberry flavor. They are available during the summer months.

RASPBERRIES: Small, thimble shaped berries that come in red, black (black caps), purple, and yellow varieties. Supplies are best during the summer months of June and July and in September and October.

STRAWBERRIES: Bright red, plump, fragrant berries ranging in size from the tiny wild strawberries to large cultivated berries 2 inches or more long. Stem caps should be attached. Strawberries are the only berry available all year, with supplies best from April through June. See separate entry for STRAWBERRIES, PICKING AND HANDLING.

TO STORE: Refrigerate; use blueberries within 10 days to 2 weeks, other berries within 1 or 2 days.

TO PREPARE: Just before serving, wash berries; remove hulls from strawberries; remove any stems from other berries; drain berries.

Source: The New Good Housekeeping Cookbook ISBN: 0-688-03897-2 Typos by Dorothy Flatman 1995

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