Well…dark red, really.
The lovely Bookjunkie on her Tiny Island recently posted this fresh little tidbit about blackberries:
photo by bookjunkie
According to this article on UK Food Guide, I never knew that blackberries were the relatives of the rose. This is another imported fruit and here are the numerous benefits of eating them as detailed in the UK Food Guide:
Wild blackberries are relatives of the rose and the soft, juicy fruit grows on thorny bushes or trailing vines. Just like a raspberry, the blackberry is called an “aggregate fruit” because each berry is really a cluster of tiny fruits, or druplets….
Blackberries are considered to be an astringent because of their high tannin content. Studies show that tannins tighten tissue, lesson minor bleeding, and may help to alleviate diarrhea and intestinal inflammation. German health authorities recommend blackberries for mild infections including sore throats and mouth irritations. Traditionally, blackberries have been used to alleviate hemorrhoids because of their rich tannin content. Scientists have also reported antitumor properties associated with tannins found in some varieties of blackberries. Overindulgence of tannin-rich blackberries may lead to constipation.
Blackberries abound in antioxidants, such as anthocyanin pigments, responsible for the purplish-black colour of blackberries and may impart health benefits because of their antioxidant properties. Additional antioxidants in blackberries are vitamins C and E, and ellagic acid; all may provide protection against cancer and chronic disease. Cooking does not seem to destroy ellagic acid, so even blackberry jams and desserts retain ellagic acid health benefits. Interestingly, blackberries are a natural source of salicylate, an active substance found in aspirin. Potential benefits have yet to be explored and some experts advise caution to particularly aspirin-sensitive individuals. Because of their many tiny seeds, blackberries are a source of soluble fibre, such as pectin.
Her post really got me craving some blackberries. Since there weren’t any in season, I bought a bag of frozen blackberries and made a quick “sorbet” type shake. I just wanted something sweet for dessert.
1/2 cup frozen blackberries
5 whole frozen strawberries
1/2 cup almond milk (you could use soy or rice milk also)
Combine in a blender and blend until smooth. Add 1 – 2 TBS water if needed.
This light refreshing dessert has only 155 calories
Makes about 1 cup.
calories: 155, fat: 1g, fiber: 4.5 g, protein: 1g 45% RDA vitamin C
The color is gorgeous–and the taste is even better!
Thanks for the inspiration Bookjunkie!
Categories: health, healthy diet, nutrition
The Savvy Sister 
I just discovered that blackberries are a trigger for my migraines! Maybe it’s the tannin. Anyway, I have doubled up on blueberry/raspberry consumption and seem to have no ill effects.
Oh! Sorry about that! Thanks for alerting some others who may have the same issues!
That smoothie looks delicious and so healthy also. Gonna make this the coming weekend
It is good…more like a sherbet or sorbet than a smoothie–really satisfied my sweet tooth, though, and for the small amount of calories, you get a lot of benefit.
Thanks BH!
That looks great. We’ve been doing some similar things in our blender and processor. Berry-related tangent: It seems like if you can find them, it’s cheaper right now to buy fresh blueberries than frozen. That’s if you can find them, which is hard to do this time of year. If you’re committed to eating local produce only, then forget it. Any thoughts on that? Best to buy local in-season and freeze them yourself for use throughout the year?
Yeah, my local market is overloaded with blueberries now and they’re $2.50/pint and they actually taste great!
Here in Georgia, there are many local farmers that sell blueberries.
Great idea to buy local and freeze!
You can go to http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ to find your own CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).
Thanks so much for taking time to comment!
Thanks so much for the blog love Savvy Sister. I was inspired by you to get healthy.
That smoothy looks like it is packed with antioxidants. Glowing skin will be here stat 🙂
No,…thank you for providing me with a great post for me to steal!