Raspberries in the Thermomix®

When are raspberries in season?

Outdoor crop from July to the end of September, with autumn raspberries giving a second harvest in August.

• Jan–
• Feb–
• Mar–
• Apr–
• May–
• Jun–
• JulOutdoor crop
• AugOutdoor crop
• SepOutdoor crop
• Oct–
• Nov–
• Dec–

Outdoor crop: fresh European harvest. Protected crop: greenhouse or covered cultivation. Stored: European harvest kept in storage.

Buying and storing raspberries

You can recognise fresh raspberries by their deep, even red colour and an intense fruity smell that already rises from the punnet. Plump, dry berries with no bruising are what you are after. Soft, mushy berries, or ones that have already turned slightly grey, point to mould and are best left behind. In the shops varieties such as Glen Ample and Tulameen dominate, prized for their firm flesh and good travelling quality.

In the fridge raspberries keep for two, at most three, days. Store them loosely in a shallow, well ventilated container and on no account wash them before you need them. To freeze them, spread the dry berries out singly on a tray to pre freeze, then transfer to bags. Frozen raspberries keep for six to twelve months and go straight from the freezer into ice cream and sauces.

Preparing raspberries in the Thermomix®

Frozen raspberries become ice cream in the Thermomix®: five seconds on speed 8, then carry on stirring at speed 4 until creamy. For raspberry jam or raspberry syrup, cook fresh or thawed berries with preserving sugar in a one to one ratio at 100°C, speed 1, with the measuring cup removed, until the set test succeeds. For raspberry sauces and creams we blend for ten seconds on speed 10 and pass the result through a sieve, so you get a silky smooth spread without the pips.

For the raspberry vinegar and the Raspberry Advocaat from our recipes there is no fierce heat in the Thermomix® to cook the berries to death. For these recipes we work at moderate temperatures below 70°C, so the flavour and colour are preserved.

The most common mistakes with raspberries

• Washing raspberries before storing them. Wet raspberries turn mouldy within hours. Always rinse them under cold water only just before use and dab them dry gently.
• Blending too long on a high speed. From speed 8 upwards the pips get ground in too. The puree then tastes slightly bitter. For pip free sauces it is better to blend briefly and then push it through a sieve.
• Freezing damp berries straight away. Moist raspberries freeze into one solid lump. Dry the berries completely before freezing and pre freeze them singly on a tray, so you can take out just the amount you need.

Goes well with raspberries

These seasonal ingredients are in season at the same time, ideal for combining:

OnionsPeppersTomatoesCarrotsPotatoesCeleriac and Celery

Raspberries in the monthly calendar: