Gold Raspberries

Seasons/Availability

Gold raspberries are available spring, summer and early fall.

Current Facts

Gold raspberries, botanical name Rubus idaeus, are a bramble fruit of a perennial shrub within the family, Rosaceae along with strawberries and blackberries.

Description/Taste

The Gold raspberry is similar in characteristics to the Red raspberry in all aspects except that it is gold in color with pink hues (which suggests it may have been originally bred from a Red raspberry). It is an aggregate fruit with individual drupelets that are held together by very fine, nearly invisible hairs. When picked, the stem and the receptacle of the raspberry stay on the plant, leaving a hollow center within the fruit. The Gold raspberry is fuzzy, fragile and extremely sweet with just a subtle hint of tartness. Once ripe, it has a minimal shelf-life.

Applications

Use Gold raspberries as you would Red raspberries. They can be served whole, raw, muddled and cooked. They are most often utilized in sweet applications vs. savory, though there are plenty of savory recipes for raspberries to embellish. Gold raspberries are traditionally used as a principle ingredient in fruit salads, jams, ice creams, sorbets and gelatos. Complimentary pairings include cocoa, exotic fruits, raisins, nuts such as hazelnuts and Marcona almonds, creamy and blooming cheeses, honey, peaches, coconut, cinnamon, blueberries, cardamom and lavender.

Geography/History

The Gold raspberry is the hybrid result of breeding numerous cultivars. There are several Gold raspberry varieties, each with different origins throughout the world, ranging from Korea to the United States. Gold raspberry plants are somewhat cold hardy, such as the common Red raspberry. They exist primarily as erect, upright bushes. Gold raspberries, though considered superior in flavor, have limited commercial value compared to the far more ubiquitous Red raspberry. They are primarily found at farmers markets.

#goldraspberries #raspberries #berries