Jonathan King and Jim Stott Photography by Jim Stott

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A rose is a rose is a rose—except when it’s a raspberry bush! If you’ve ever been pricked by a raspberry thorn, you will not be surprised to hear that this common plant is a member of the rose family. The intensely sweet, distinctive flavor of its fruit is a favorite all over the world. Perhaps it is the berries’ availability or the fact that they blend so well with so many flavors, but nationally, raspberries are rated higher in preference by Americans than any other berry.

We love raspberries for a number of reasons. These little berries hold lots of pectin, which makes them ideal for making jam. Pectin is what thickens jams, so raspberries often bring just the right texture to preserves. Many of our jams feature raspberries and we also use them in salsas, vinaigrettes, baking mixes and many other recipes. We even have a hot fudge sauce that is deeply flavored with raspberry liqueur. (It is delicious!) Most of what we use are red raspberries although, when we can get them, we make an incredible Golden Raspberry Jam. The yellow/gold raspberries are hard to come by. They are a little more delicate, but their flavor is exceptional and the color of the jam is simply beautiful. Other varieties include Heritage, which ripens later in the season, and a Malling Jewel that is a copper-colored, mid-season variety.

The raspberry has been around since prehistoric times but there is no evidence that they were commonly cultivated until near the Middle Ages. European raspberries are a slightly different variety than what we have here in the states; they flourish in cool, damp climates. Most grown here in the U.S. like drier, hotter conditions. Alaskan farmers grow the European type as you might imagine with that state’s cooler temperatures. The bright green leaves of the plant have been reputed to hold many nutrients and vitamins that seem to have a beneficial effect to women during pregnancy and childbirth. Leaves are dried and made into tea or added to recipes for nutrition and flavor. Raspberry juice is healthy for your heart and the berries themselves are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, niacin and riboflavin.

As far as cooking with the “little jewel,” as the raspberry is known in some areas in Europe, finding good quality raspberries is relatively easy. Most supermarkets have a plentiful supply almost year-round. Be sure to handle them gently, washing them only with a quick rinse and patting them dry to keep them from spoiling too quickly. Puréeing them for sauces is easy as is using them for garnishes for desserts and all kinds of foods. Mixing them into batter for pancakes or muffins can be slightly more challenging. Using a rubber or silicone spatula, always gently fold the berries into the mixture so they stay as whole as possible.

We love the balance of flavors raspberries add to sauces for meats, salad dressings and the like. It is usually best to warm and perhaps even strain the seeds from a good preserve before adding it to a pan sauce. Raspberries seem to be a perfect complement to peaches, especially in a pie! Try them in a cobbler, trifle, crepes, scones, salads—the list is endless. Finally, we love raspberries and chocolate, the ultimate in decadent, luxurious flavor. Deep dark chocolate cake can be layered with raspberry sauce or jam and topped with ganache and freshly whipped cream or with a simple dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

Nothing is better!

Raspberry Trifle Recipe


Jonathan King and Jim Stott are co-owners of Stonewall Kitchen, an award-winning, nationally recognized specialty food manufacturing company headquartered in York, Maine. Natives of New England, both Jonathan and Jim are avid gardeners and cooks who have been featured on numerous television cooking shows. They are authors of the Stonewall Kitchen Cookbook and co-authors with Kathy Gunst of Stonewall Kitchen Harvest: Celebrating the Bounty of the Seasons.