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Fall Raspberries

Fall-bearing

Our raspberries are fall-bearing, so they start ripening in late summer and keep coming until the first hard frost. It's a sweet way to hang onto summer a little longer.

  • SeasonLate August until the first hard frost
  • FlavorSweet, juicy and a little tart
  • Best forFresh eating, freezer jam and desserts
Get to know it

What is it, anyway?

Most raspberries fruit in early summer on canes that grew the year before. Fall-bearing raspberries, sometimes called everbearing, are different. They fruit on brand-new canes that grow up from the ground that same year.

That timing works great in North Dakota. The canes grow all summer, then load up with berries from late August through September. Picking keeps going until a hard frost finally shuts them down.

In early spring we mow the old canes right down to the ground. A fresh batch comes up every year, which keeps the plants healthy and the berries big.

Tasty and good for you

Health benefits

  • Tons of fiberOne cup of raspberries has about 8 grams of fiber. That's more than almost any other fruit.
  • Vitamin C and manganeseA cup covers about a third of your daily vitamin C and a big chunk of the manganese you need.
  • Low in sugarThey're naturally low in sugar and only about 65 calories a cup.
  • AntioxidantsRaspberries contain ellagic acid, quercetin and anthocyanins, which are all protective plant compounds.

This is general nutrition info, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about your own diet.

From our kitchen to yours

Favorite recipes

Raspberry Freezer Jam

No cooking and no canner, and it has the freshest raspberry flavor there is.

About 5 half-pint containers

You'll need

  • 3 cups crushed raspberries (about 6 cups whole)
  • 5 ¼ cups sugar
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 box (1.75 oz) regular powdered fruit pectin

How to make it

  1. Crush the berries one layer at a time with a potato masher. Measure exactly 3 cups into a large bowl.
  2. Stir in the sugar and let it stand 10 minutes, stirring now and then.
  3. Stir the water and pectin together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  4. Stir the hot pectin into the berries for 3 minutes, until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
  5. Pour into clean freezer containers, leaving ½ inch of space at the top.
  6. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours to set. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to a year.

Tip: Pectin brands vary, so double-check the amounts on your box. Don't cut the sugar, or the jam won't set.

Warm Raspberry Sauce

Ten minutes on the stove. Spoon it over ice cream, cheesecake, waffles or pound cake.

About 1 ½ cups

You'll need

  • 3 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water (optional)

How to make it

  1. Heat the berries, sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Simmer 5 to 7 minutes, stirring, until the berries break down.
  3. Stir in the lemon juice. For a thicker sauce, add the cornstarch mixture and simmer 1 minute.
  4. Press through a sieve if you'd like it seedless.
  5. Serve warm or cold. It keeps a week in the fridge.

Tip: Make a double batch and freeze half for a taste of fall in January.

Picking & storage tips

  • Ripe raspberries slide off the core with a gentle tug. If you have to pull, leave it for next time.
  • Look under the leaves and deep in the row, because the best berries hide.
  • Use shallow containers and don't stack berries more than a few inches deep.
  • Refrigerate right away and eat within 2 or 3 days. Don't wash them until you're ready to eat.
  • Picking ends with the first hard frost, so don't wait too long in the fall.
Come pick your own

Is it ready yet?

The typical season is Late Aug – first frost, but Dakota weather likes to keep us guessing. We post what's picking, times and prices on our Facebook page first.

Follow our Facebook page See what's picking
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