1. Blackberries

2. Blackberries grow on perennial plants in Eastern North America and on the Pacific Coast. Primary cultivation takes place here in the United States, in Oregon! Serbia and Mexico also produce them, but Oregon is the leading blackberry producer in the world.

3. Blackberries The blackberry is an aggregate fruit that is composed of many smaller fruits called drupes. A drupe is a type of fruit in which the outer fleshy part surrounds a seed. Another example of a drupe is the peach

4. Blackberries The fruit is very dark purple with smooth, fragile skin. In the middle of the cluster is a greenish-white core that extends to almost the bottom of the berry. Blackberries are red and hard when they are immature and turn black and shiny when they ripen.

5. Blackberries Blackberries have a sweet taste when they are ripe and are more tart when under ripe. Blackberries are often picked when they are under ripe because their skin becomes too fragile to transport upon ripening.

6. Blackberries Blackberries are usually enjoyed raw, and as toppings for yogurts and oatmeal. The soft fruit is popular for use in desserts, jams, seedless jellies and sometimes wine.

7. Blackberries Blackberries are a good source of iron and Vitamin C, as well as fiber, folic acid and B vitamins. Blackberries are ranked highly among fruits for antioxidant strength.  They were placed at the top of more than 1000 antioxidant foods consumed in the United States!

8. References http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/senior/fruits/blackberry1.htm http://www.whole-food-supplements-guide.com/blackberry-fruit.html http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/68427/blackberry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackberry#Nutrients_and_antioxidant_qu alities http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackberry#Nutrients_and_antioxidant_qu alities http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ripe,_ripening,_and_green_blackberr ies.jpg