The Berry Bonus
By Becky Billingsley
Today’s cooks have it berry lucky.
Many berries are available year-round thanks to modern transportation capabilities. Our mothers never had fresh strawberries in winter, but today’s cooks rejoice over a steady supply.
Becky Billingsley
Photo Credit: Scott Smallin, 803 Productions
Berries are easy to fit in a low-carb lifestyle, and the sweet orbs are definitely useful in more than just desserts. A quick berry sauce can turn chicken or fish into dazzling entrees.
People have known berries are beneficial food sources for centuries, but it’s just in recent decades that researchers have discovered how exceedingly nutritious they are.
What a delicious way to eat right. Berries are rich in cancer-fighting antioxidants, memory-enhancing properties, vitamins, minerals and fiber. They’re low in fat and calories.
Photo Credit: Scott Bauer, ARS
Here’s a rundown of a few berries and their healthy properties:
Blackberry | Rich in Vitamin C, folate, iron. Use fresh berries as soon as possible. Blackberries are great to use in pies, tarts, cobblers, jams, cordials, flavored vinegar, wine and sauces. Varieties include boysenberries and loganberries.
Blueberry | Extremely high levels of antioxidants; rich in vitamins C and E. Great for pies, tarts, smoothies, sauces, tarts, crepes, sorbets, jams, muffins, pancakes, cakes, cornbreads, liqueurs and cold soups.
Cranberry | High Vitamin C level and a rich source of phytochemicals that help promote urinary tract health. The tartness lends itself well to juice (many juices, or cocktails, have high sugar levels to combat the tartness), sauces, meat stews, rice dishes, condiments, cookies, cakes, muffins, breads and blended in recipes with sweeter fruits.
Currant | Good source of Vitamin C; also contains potassium, iron and copper. The red and white varieties of this tart berry grow in the U.S.; the black ones are European. Use in jams and jellies, compotes, puddings and pies.
Gooseberry | High in Vitamin C and good fiber source. When they’re used green gooseberries are extremely tart and should be treated like rhubarb. If allowed to ripen to amber they’re less tart and are good for pies, jams, crumbles, wines, chutneys and sauces (especially for fish).
Lingonberries | High in Vitamin C and antioxidants. Lingonberries look like miniature cranberries, but aren’t quite as tart. They grow in cold climates, and are known for their use in Scandinavian cuisine. They’re used in jams, syrups, condiments, garnishes, breads, muffins, sauces for meats and blended with other fruits for pies.
Raspberry | Another good source of Vitamin C and antioxidants, and high in fiber. Most people are familiar with red and black raspberries, but there are also golden and purple varieties. They’re fragile, expensive and have an extremely short shelf-life, so be careful in choosing fresh and firm ones and use them quickly. Raspberries are used in jams, salads, rice dishes, sauces, breads, cobblers, crisps, mousses, sorbets, cheesecakes, smoothies, ice creams and icings.
Strawberry | This packs the highest Vitamin C punch of all the berries. They’re also a good fiber source. Their classic and special use is for shortcake, but they’re versatile enough to be incorporated into almost any recipe that calls for berries.
Becky Billingsley is the editor of Coastal Carolina Dining magazine and CEO of The Food Syndicate. Contact her at becky@thefoodsyndicate.com.
Raspberry Chipotle Sauce Recipe
From “The Berry Bible” by Janie Hibler (Morrow, 2004, $29.95)
3-4 cups fresh raspberries or blackberries, rinsed and drained, or frozen raspberries, thawed with juice
1-3 chipotles packed in adobo sauce, plus 1 teaspoon of the sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons powdered pectin
3/4 cup sugar
1-2 teaspoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
Heat a 3/4- to 1-pint glass bottle.
Puree 3 cups of the berries with the chiles and sauce. You will need 1 1/2 cups puree. If you are short, puree more berries and add to the mixture until you have 1 1/2 cups.
Pour the puree and lemon juice into a large nonreactive pan. Add the pectin and mix thoroughly. Put the pan over high heat and bring to a full rolling boil. Stir in the butter and baking soda. If there is foam, it will disappear in a few minutes. Fill the bottle using a funnel. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or, for storing in your pantry, process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.
Chocolate-Dusted Strawberries with Orange Cream
From “Atkins for Life Low-Carb Cookbook” by Veronica Atkins (St. Martin’s Press, 2004, $25.95)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 packets sugar substitute
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 of an Atkins Endulge Chocolate Candy Bar, grated
2 cups whole strawberries
- Combine cream, sugar substitute, vanilla and orange zest in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer cream to a serving bowl and top with chocolate. Serve strawberries on the side for dipping.
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