Blackberries are a soft and delicate fruit which grows on thorny bushes or trailing vines.
The blackberry is a drupelet, or a cluster of fruits, like a bunch of grapes, and the seed inside each drupelet contributes to the berry’s nutrient value.
Blackberries have a fragile and smooth skin with somewhat greenish core which lengthens nearly to the base of the berry.
Immature blackberries are generally red or green and hard to touch which later turns into black, soft, juicy and glossy fruit on ripening.
Vitamins provided by blackberries include vitamin A, vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B6, folate, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) and vitamin K (phylloquinone).
Blackberries contain calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and zinc.
Blackberries are also a good source of amino acids and essential dietary fiber without offering any harmful cholesterol.
Phenolic acids, flavonoids and flavonols particularly anthocyanosides present in blackberries work against the harmful oxygen free molecules and counteract their action. This protective radical scavenging activity protects the body from a range of diseases caused as consequence of oxidative damage which may be the underlying cause of many fatal conditions.
Blackberries are a source of both insoluble and soluble fiber essential for the optimum functioning of digestive system.
Owing to very low amounts of sugar, blackberries assist in healthy weight management.
Blackberry can be added to fresh fruit salads, baked goods such as tarts, cakes and pies or to prepare jellies or preserves