Berries
Strawberries
Avoid
Avoid strawberries with green or white color, or those that appear mushy, shriveled, or leaky.
Selection Tips
Strawberries should be plump and firm with a bright red color and natural shine. Caps should be fresh, green, and intact.
Storage, Ripening (if any) & Handling
Refrigerate.
Does not ripen further after harvest.
Do not wash berries until just before use.
Nutrition
Saturated Fat Free
Sodium Free
Cholesterol Free
High in Folate
Good Source of Fiber
Fat Free
High Potency Vitamin C
Health Benefits
Reduce cancer-risk with more fruits & vegetables
Reduce cancer-risk with high-fiber fruits & vegetables
Reduce cancer risk by decreasing fat
Reduce risk of coronary heart disease with high-fiber fruits & vegetables
Reduce risk of coronary heart disease by decreasing saturated fat and cholesterol
Reduce risk of hypertension by decreasing sodium
Reduce risks of birth defects by increasing folate
Serving TIps
Serve strawberries alone for a light dessert or use as a fresh fruit topping for desserts, salads, or breakfast items.
Add fresh fruit to foods you already eat, like berries and bananas to yogurt and cereal.
Useful Links
Fun Facts
The name strawberry derives from the straw placed around it to protect its delicate berries.
Fruits & Nuts in Symbolism & Celebration, Mary Reed. Resource Publications, Inc. 1992.On the average, there are 200 tiny seeds on every strawberry.
Raspberries
Varieties
Red, Black, Purple, Golden
Avoid
Avoid moldy, soft or leaky berries, or berries that break apart easily and don't hold their shape.
Selection Tips
Good quality raspberries should be dry, plump, and firm.
Storage, Ripening (if any) & Handling
Refrigerate.
Raspberries are highly perishable and should be used within 1-2 days after purchase.
Nutrition
Saturated Fat Free
Sodium Free
Cholesterol Free
High in Fiber
High in the antioxidant Vitamin C
Fat Free
Health Benefits
Reduce cancer-risk with more fruits & vegetables
Reduce cancer-risk with high-fiber fruits & vegetables
Reduce cancer risk by decreasing fat
Reduce risk of coronary heart disease with high-fiber fruits & vegetables
Reduce risk of coronary heart disease by decreasing saturated fat and cholesterol
Reduce risk of hypertension by decreasing sodium
Serving TIps
Serve whole fresh raspberries alone for a light dessert, or use as a fresh fruit topping for desserts or breakfast items such as pancakes or waffles.
Make frozen fruit kabobs for kids using pineapple chunks, bananas, grapes, and berries.
Fun Facts
There are more than 200 species of raspberries in the world.
Martin Van Buren, campaigning for the presidency in 1840, was said by his opponents to "wallow in Raspberries," which they regarded as a shocking extravagance.The Great Food Almanac, Irena Chalmers, Collins Publishers, 1994.
Although very perishable, raspberries are now imported from as far away as Chile and New Zealand, thanks to air travel and climate-controlled packaging.
Cranberries
Avoid
Avoid cranberries that appear shriveled, soft, or decayed.
Selection Tips
Choose cranberries that are clean, firm, and well-colored.
Storage, Ripening (if any) & Handling
Refrigerate.
Does not ripen further after harvest.
Nutrition
Low Calorie
Saturated Fat Free
Sodium Free
Cholesterol Free
Good Source of the antioxidant Vitamin C
Fat Free
Health Benefits
Reduce cancer-risk with more fruits & vegetables
Reduce cancer risk by decreasing fat
Reduce risk of coronary heart disease by decreasing saturated fat and cholesterol
Reduce risk of hypertension by decreasing sodium
Serving TIps
Use fresh cranberries as an ingredient in relishes, sauces, and baked goods such as breads and muffins.
Fun Facts
Cranberries are one of only three fruits native to North America. The other two: blueberries and Concord grapes.
Fun with Fruit Facts," Fruit Grower, December 1997. Page 58.During the 16th and 17th centuries, European gourmets knew the cranberry as "fenberries" or "marshworts," after the boggy habitat in which the plant flourishes.
Fruits & Nuts in Symbolism & Celebration, Mary Reed. Resource Publications, Inc. 1992.
Blueberries
Avoid
Discard any green berries.
Selection Tips
Plump, juicy berries with a deep purple to blue-black skin color highlighted by a silvery sheen called "bloom."
Storage, Ripening (if any) & Handling
Refrigerate.
Blueberries do not ripen after harvest.
Nutrition
Low Fat
Saturated Fat Free
Sodium Free
Cholesterol Free
Good Source of Fiber
Good Source of the antioxidant Vitamin C
Nutritional Benefits
Reduce cancer-risk with more fruits & vegetables
Reduce cancer-risk with high-fiber fruits & vegetables
Reduce cancer risk by decreasing fat
Reduce risk of coronary heart disease with high-fiber fruits & vegetables
Reduce risk of coronary heart disease by decreasing saturated fat and cholesterol
Reduce risk of hypertension by decreasing sodium
Serving TIps
Serve fresh blueberries alone for a delicious dessert offering or as a topping for ice cream or frozen parfaits.
Here is a quick fruit salad you can make in less than a minute. Open a can of juice-pack mandarin oranges and empty into a bowl. Add a sliced banana, a sliced apple, and some blueberries or raisins. There you have it - a quick way to 5 A Day.
Useful Resources
MBG Marketing (Michigan Blueberry Growers Association)
North American Blueberry Council
Fun Facts
Blueberries are one of only three fruits native to North America. The other two: cranberries and Concord grapes.
Fun with Fruit Facts," Fruit Grower, December 1997. Page 58.The names huckleberry and blueberry often are used interchangeably although they are not the same species - blueberries are cultivated and have a much smaller seed.
1999 Produce Availability and Merchandising Guide, The Packer. 1999.
Blackberries
Varieties
Cherokee, Chester, Marion, Ollalie, Texas Brazo, Kotata
Avoid
Avoid leaky, soft, or dull berries or those with caps still attached.
Selection Tips
Good quality blackberries should be dry, clean, plump, bright, and well-colored.
Storage, Ripening (if any) & Handling
Refrigerate.
Does not ripen further after harvest.
Blackberries are very perishable; handle with care and use soon after purchase.
Nutrition
Low Fat
Saturated Fat Free
Sodium Free
Cholesterol Free
High in Fiber
High in the antioxidant Vitamin C
Good Source of Folate
Health Benefits
Reduce cancer-risk with more fruits & vegetables
Reduce cancer-risk with high-fiber fruits & vegetables
Reduce cancer risk by decreasing fat
Reduce risk of coronary heart disease with high-fiber fruits & vegetables
Reduce risk of coronary heart disease by decreasing saturated fat and cholesterol
Reduce risk of hypertension by decreasing sodium
Reduce risks of birth defects by increasing folate
Serving TIps
Use fresh blackberries as a topping for ice cream, pancakes, and waffles.
Make frozen fruit kabobs for kids using pineapple chunks, bananas, grapes, and berries.
Fun Facts
An old English cure for ruptures, according to Gloucestershire natives, was to walk under an arch of blackberry runners. In Cornwall, blackberry poultices were used to treat swellings.
Fruits & Nuts in Symbolism & Celebration, Mary Reed. Resource Publications, Inc. 1992.The blackberry is one of the oldest known fruits. Its leaves were once used as a hair dye.
Fun with Fruit Facts," Fruit Grower, December 1997. Page 60.