Raspberry

Let me tell you about raspberries, and why they never sit quietly in the bowl.

Look at one closely. A raspberry is not one fruit — it is dozens of tiny fruits, each clinging to its neighbours and to fine hairs, with no single skin wrapped around the whole thing to hold it firm. That is why it gives so easily under your fingers, and why, once picked, it leaves that small hollow behind — the berry has come away from the plant, not the other way round. This is a berry built for speed: ripen fast, get eaten fast, rot fast. Respect that.

Choose raspberries by look, not by guesswork. Go for deep, even colour and a plump, full shape — one that comes off the stem with no real pull at all. A good one smells sweet from a distance, before you even bring it close.

Some people say you should wash raspberries well because they are dirty. No! Extra moisture sitting on and around those delicate little beads only hurries them toward mush and mould. Rinse them only if you must, very briefly, and never soak. Buy them close to when you plan to eat them. Treat them like something already half-gone.