Botanical Name: Rubus idaeus
How to grow it:
Raspberry is an easy to grow perennial to about 1m that yields it’s delicious fruits in the heat of summer.
While it’s best suited to cooler temperate climates, it will grow in my sub-tropical area and fruiting seems to improve once the plants grow accustomed to local weather.
There’s much information available about cultivation as Raspberry is commercially grown around the world – I just grow it against a trellis to keep the canes upright and find it spreads via underground suckers which need to be pulled up to save it getting out of control.
Fruits are picked fully ripe and eaten fresh or you can freeze them immediately for later use.
I propagate them by digging out the underground suckers in late winter and replanting in the ground or in pots.
They cab be successfully grown in large pots which prevents their spread, but they will become potbound within a season or two and so will need thinning out.
Nutrition:
Raspberries have high levels of vitamin C and manganese and are notably low in carbohydrates and sugar making them a great food for Keto or low-carb diets.
Raspberry leaf tea is also known to be a uterine tonic and can relieve menstrual symptoms and even reduce labour time in childbirth. Also assists in fat metabolism and can assist in weight loss.
Using it in the kitchen:
To be honest, Raspberries rarely make it to the kitchen at my place! Usually they get eaten straight from the bush but surpluses can be used in desserts or smoothies or frozen for later use.
Raspberry leaves also make a delicious tea fresh from the garden which can provide health benefits particularly for women (see above)
Raspberries are a great addition to the survival garden as they require little care for such a delicious fruit.
