I was well over 30 years old before I learned the real difference between Blackberries and Raspberries. (Hint: It’s not color.) Before learning how to tell, the names didn’t mean anything to me, and it didn’t help that you can find both of these berries available in varieties other than their traditional colors.
A pair of blackberries, one with it’s stem attached, one with it’s stem removed. Blackberries break cleanly from the plant and do not leave behind a “rasp”. What’s a rasp? Keep scrolling…
A pair of raspberries, one with it’s stem still attached, one with it’s stem removed. Look closely and you will see that the raspberry appears to be hollow inside…at least much more hollow that the blackberry above.
A raspberry next to it’s stem and rasp. The part of the berry that was inside the fruit, but stays on the plant when the berry is picked, is called the rasp.
So now, with just a quick look, you will know whether you are eating raspberries or not, whether the fruit is black, purple, golden, red or even green or white.
Posted by thebeadden on June 4, 2012 at 6:45 am
Well, we learn learn something new everyday. I guess I am done for the day!
Thanks for the tip, had no idea.
Posted by Jimmy Cracked-Corn on June 4, 2012 at 12:41 pm
Learning something new is what I live for!
Posted by thebeadden on June 4, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Me too! Except for spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Posted by Jimmy Cracked-Corn on June 4, 2012 at 2:42 pm
LOL…I’m still wondering about my final “it’s” in the article above. I’ll end up looking it up in a style manual before I quit wondering.
Posted by thebeadden on June 4, 2012 at 2:42 pm
LOL!
Posted by alliumstozinnias on July 11, 2012 at 7:55 pm
Thanks for explaining the difference. And one easy way on it’s/its — if it makes sense when you say it is, that’s ‘it’s’. But: A raspberry next to its stem.
Posted by Jimmy Cracked-Corn on July 13, 2012 at 8:16 am
There is the it-is rule, but also possession, and also pluralization of a word that already ends with S, and also, and also, and also….my mind begins to spin! Plus, not every style manual agrees with the others!
Thank you for your comment!
Posted by Green Thumb Mama on June 4, 2012 at 9:18 am
Amazing. I never knew this!
Posted by Jimmy Cracked-Corn on June 4, 2012 at 12:42 pm
Thank you. I think it’s just great that you reblogged this post!
Posted by Green Thumb Mama on June 4, 2012 at 9:19 am
Reblogged this on GreenThumbMama and commented:
Amazing! I have never known this!
Posted by Stacey Kaylor Butcher on June 4, 2012 at 9:58 am
Wow! I never knew that! Thanks so much for sharing!
Posted by Jimmy Cracked-Corn on June 4, 2012 at 12:42 pm
You’re welcome! Thank you for stopping by today!
Posted by Kim on June 5, 2012 at 11:15 am
We have a variety of native berries here in Northern California. Salmonberries and thimbleberries have similar structures to raspberries, but I never pieced it together how closely related they are. Very cool! (We also have a lot of blackberries too — the bane of our gardens because they’re so hard to control, but we also love the fruit in the summer and all the things we can make from them. We just pick them on the side of the road…)
Posted by Jimmy Cracked-Corn on June 5, 2012 at 3:23 pm
I hadn’t ever heard of thimbleberries! I have been hearing from several folks that blackberries grow unchecked in the Northwestern U.S. Thank you for stopping by!