Berries
Berries are usually juicy, round, brightly-colored, sweet, sour, or tart, and do not have a stone, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, red currants, black currants, huckleberries, bilberries, and bearberries.
A true berry is a fruit which grows from one flower with one ovary. Cranberries and blueberries are considered true berries since they grow from flowers containing one ovary. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, and boysenberries are considered aggregate fruits since the flowers they grow from have more than one ovary, so the fruit is actually dozens of tiny fruits growing together. These tiny fruits, or bumps, are called drupelets. The number of drupelets that make up the berry is directly connected to the number of times a bee has landed on the berry flower to pollinate it.
The tiny hairs on raspberries and blackberries are called “styles,” which serve to protect the berry from damage. The silver color on the exterior of the blueberry is called “bloom,” which acts as a natural barrier to seal in moisture.
Berries are bursting with nutrition. They average nearly 10 times more antioxidants than other fruits or vegetables, are high in flavonoids and vitamins, and provide an excellent source of fiber.
Berries are simple to add to your diet. Toss them in smoothies, sprinkle on cereals, incorporate into desserts, or simply enjoy them fresh from the vine.
Sources: minnesotamonthly.com/sponsored/10-fun-facts-about-berries; justfunfacts.com/interesting-facts-about-berries
Recipe – Panna Cotta with Mixed Berries
Ingredients
1 14 oz. can full fat coconut milk
¼ cup maple syrup, amber-colored, or brown rice syrup
1 tsp. non-alcoholic vanilla flavoring
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. agar agar powder or 1 Tbs. agar agar flakes
3 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries)
Process
To a saucepan, add coconut milk, maple or brown rice syrup, vanilla flavoring, and salt. Whisk to combine. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low, sprinkle in agar agar powder or flakes and immediately whisk well. Let simmer 2 minutes, whisking frequently. Divide mixture evenly between serving jars, place in refrigerator to set—at least 25-35 minutes—until bouncy. For fresh berries, warm in saucepan until tender. Add a little maple syrup for sweetness, if desired. For frozen berries, allow to thaw until no longer cold. Top panna cotta with thawed and warmed mixed berries and mint leaves.