Whether sweet or tart, these deep red fruits pack a healthy punch

Red, purple, pink and blue little drops of goodness - say "hello" to the beautifully-colourful world of cherries and berries.

Raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries and more.

Cherries

Cherries are low in calories and chock full of fibre, vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and other good-for-you ingredients.

Cherries are rich in antioxidants, like beta-carotene, and the essential nutrient choline. These are natural chemicals that can help your body deal with day-to-day damage to your cells.

You’ll also get vitamins C, A, and K. Each long-stemmed fruit delivers potassium, magnesium, and calcium too.

Blueberries

Sweet, nutritious and wildly popular, blueberries are often labeled a “superfood".

Blueberries are believed to have one of the highest antioxidant levels of all common fruits and vegetables.

Because blueberries are high in antioxidants, they can neutralise some of the free radicals that damage your DNA.

They are low in calories and incredibly good for you.

Raspberries

They provide potassium, essential to heart function, and proven to lower blood pressure.

The omega-3 fatty acids in raspberries can help prevent stroke and heart disease.

They also contain a mineral called manganese, which is necessary for healthy bones and skin and helps regulate blood sugar.

Raspberries are extremely versatile when it comes to cooking.

With their superior acidity and fragrance, they go well with rabbit, duck and venison, and are delicious with goat’s cheese, crumbed camembert or beetroot.

Storing and washing

1. Refrigerate right away. Chilling the berries for an hour or so before you wash them helps keep these fragile, sun-warmed fruits from falling apart under the water.
2. Store on a shelf and NOT in the crisper or a drawer. Allow air to circulate around the berries to keep them fresher, longer.
3. DO NOT rinse berries until you are ready to eat them.
4. Rinse and drain in a colander. Do not soak or let them sit in water.

Cranberries

The juice is probably most well-known for its management of urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Cranberries contain compounds known as proanthocyanidins, which have natural antibacterial benefits and may help prevent the bacteria E-Coli from attaching to the inner surface of the bladder and urinary tract, causing an infection.

Dried cranberries are great and have an almost unlimited shelf life. They work well in salads or muesli or as a topping?

They are also a fab ingredient in fruit loafs, cake or cookies and can replace raisins.

Here's how to dry your own

It's a lengthy process but can be worth it if you want to avoid any nasties or unwanted additives.

1. First, plunge the washed berries into boiling water. This will cause them to burst open and greatly reduce drying time.
2. Dry the cranberries well and distribute them on a piece of baking paper.
3. Turn the oven to 60°C fan oven, which will allow for the fastest drying time.
4. The entire drying process can take between ten and 24 hours.
5. They are fully dried when they have shrunk and feel slightly sticky.