As we’re entering British berry season, it’s well known that berries can provide an array of vitamins, minerals and bioactive components such as anthocyanins, flavonoids, and carotenoids to benefit health and the immune system.[1] At this time of year berries are naturally sweet and deliciously fresh so perfect for eating straight out of the punnet. However, there are plenty of ways to make the most of berries in your weekly shop and reduce potential food waste. British Berry Growers, the berry experts, share these tips on enjoying berries all week long:
[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0899900713002207?via%3Dihub
- Day 1-2 – Eat them fresh. Berries are naturally firm and sweet at this time. Add them to natural or frozen yogurt or eat them straight from the punnet as a tasty and convenient snack. We recommend washing fresh berries in cold water before eating them.
- Day 3 – Use them in smoothies. Three days after purchase berries may naturally begin to soften so adding them to a smoothie is a great way to benefit from the nutrients and delicious flavours. You can also add a sprinkle of chia or hemp seeds to your smoothie, if you have them in the cupboard. That will add some texture and increase your intake of the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid.
- … or jazz up ice cubes – Another useful way to use berries on day 3 is to add them into ice cubes. Simply add a raspberry, for example, into each square of an ice cube tray, top this up with water and freeze. Your berry ice cubes are perfect for using in G&Ts, Prosecco or Pimm’s this summer.
- … or simply freeze fresh berries just as they are. Freezing fresh berries just as they are and defrosting at a later day has been found to keep goodness ‘locked in’ and doesn’t negatively affect their antioxidant activity or anthocyanin levels.[1] Simply rinse and separate the fresh berries, lay them flat in a freezer bag or box, pop them in your freezer and they’ll be ready to use at a later date!
- Days 4 to 6 – Pureé or bake with berries. By day 4 berries tend to soften so pureéing them or baking with them is a great way to use them up and avoid waste. Berry pureés are delicious in yoghurts, porridge or mixed into muesli. Berries are also a great addition to so many recipes – try adding them to muffins or banana bread, not only a great, tasty way to use up berries but also a good way to help children develop their home cooking skills!
For more berry recipe inspiration head to lovefreshberries.com/recipes
ENDS
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15577185/