Caring for your Raspberries

Raspberries are the most fragile fruit you can pick and should be handled with extreme care!

Select only darkly colored berries with a grey "bloom" on the outside that pull easily off the core leaving a hollow spot in the center of the raspberry like these to the right. Leave behind the yellow-white core on the bush.  If you have difficulty pulling off the raspberry fruit without the core and stem coming off as well, the raspberry is probably not ripe enough --- select only darker berries.

Protect the berries from direct sunlight and excessive heat -- especially in a car. Cool the berries down in your refrigerator just as soon as you get them home. Do not wash the berries until you intend to use or freeze them.

If you purchased more berries than you can use in 2 days, freeze the rest. Under ideal conditions (dry, cool weather before you pick and quick refrigeration after you pick) berries can be kept 4 days. It is not very often that we have "ideal" conditions in Missouri.  Raspberries will mold in storage  quicker than any other fruit  so do check on them every day in the refrigerator.