August: Raspberries

Raspberries are a red, yellow, purple or black fruit grown around the world but in the UK, we’re more familiar with the red variety where it is widely cultivated as a summer crop. The UK is one of the top ten producers of the red variety of raspberry,
Key facts:

Only 53kcal per 100g

Good source of vitamin C, K

Good sources of manganese, fibre, vitamin E and folate

Source of phytochemicals and raspberry ketone

Health Benefits

Raspberries are probably becoming famously associated with “raspberry ketone”, a compound that is chemically known as “rheosmin”. It is believed that rheosmin speeds up the body’s metabolism and aids weight loss, and it is commonly sold as raspberry ketone supplement but few scientific studies support this claim. There are other health-giving properties of raspberries known as flavonoids, particularly tiliroside which may improve blood sugar balance and control blood fats.

In the kitchen

Discard any bruised or mouldy raspberries before storing and keep in the fridge. Always wash before ready to eat, do not wash and then store as the moisture will encourage the raspberries to ruin faster. If you don’t think you’ll eat all the raspberries before they will spoil, then they can be frozen by spreading them onto a tray, freezing them, and then transferring them into a freezer bag for storage.
Something different?
Cucumbers are a great summer salad addition, and is a classic with feta cheese, tomatoes and olives for a light Greek salad. But Gazpacho soup, often associated with tomatoes, is a great recipe to try for a hot summer’s day

White Gazpacho

Ingredients (serves 2)
• 1 cucumber, halved lengthways, deseeded and roughly chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small avocado, chopped
• bunch spring onions, chopped
• small bunch mint
• 150ml pot fat-free natural yogurt
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• few shakes green Tabasco sauce
• snipped chives, to serve

Method

1. In a food processor or blender, blitz all the ingredients, reserving half the mint and yogurt, until smooth. Add a little extra vinegar, Tabasco and seasoning to taste, then add a splash of water if you like it thinner.
2. Chill until very cold, then serve with a dollop more yogurt, mint, chives and a few ice cubes if you like. The soup will keep in the fridge for 2 days – just give it a good stir before serving.

Nutrition per serving

186kcal
8g protein
11g fat
15g carbohydrates