There was a deal at our local Coop last week … Fresh organic red raspberries for $2.49/6 oz.
Woohoo!!
Raspberries are so delicious in their tarty-sweetness… the ultimate in refreshing goodness.
And to make them even more of a powerhouse of awesomeness, raspberries are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. And new studies are suggesting they can increase metabolism and decrease activity of certain fat-digesting enzymes. WHAT?!?!
Did I say “Woohoo!!”
So when there’s a sale on organic raspberries for $2.49/6 oz. at the Co-op (which often sell for upwards of $4.99/ea.), I am not shy to tell you that I rushed out and bought way too many 6 oz containers.
But the problem with buying so many raspberries is that they are crazy perishable.
Fresh ripe raspberries only last a day or two in the fridge. NOTE: it’s best to store them unwashed in the fridge. I don’t know the scientific reason washing them makes them mold faster, I just know from experience that it does.
But if you’re not going to use them in the next day or two, it’s a good investment to freeze them. Because there’s very little in the fridge more depressing than opening a container of fuzzy grey raspberries.
And if you’re going to freeze them, wash them first.
WAIT!
Raspberries are not like apples or strawberries or grapes, etc … you do NOT want to soak them in water plus raw apple cider vinegar for 10 minutes … they are way more delicate than that … they will get mushy and unusable. I put water and a teaspoon of ACV in a small bowl, carefully drop the raspberries into the bowl and then quickly and gently pour them into a strainer. Rinsing them delicately with the spray attachment on our faucet. It’s a safe and effective way to wash off any residue.
So with all these raspberries on hand, I have been looking for ways to incorporate them into every part of our day for as long as we have them.
- for breakfast or as snack on their own or with bananas or with yogurt
- in honey lemonade
- to flavor kombucha
- macerated with a tablespoon of maple syrup served over ice cream
- and my favorite way … whipped into butter with a bit of raw honey
Our daughter calls it “pink butter.”
Raspberry honey butter.
And she begs for pink snack (sourdough toast with raspberry honey butter, raspberry lemonade and a piece of cheese).
Me? I love it on sourdough french toast or pancakes.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/3 cup fresh raspberries
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 8 oz butter
DIRECTIONS:
Let the butter soften. Add all three ingredients to a quart-size mason jar with tall sides and use the whisk attachment on an immersion blender to whip them into fluffy pink goodness. Store in the fridge.
Happy.
- Jeanne
