Organic Black Jewel Raspberry - Rubus idaeus

This Organic Black Jewel Raspberry Bush, Rubus occidentalis , is a vigorous variety, resistant to diseases and hardy, which has the particularity of producing black-purple raspberries when ripe. Rounded in shape, they are of good size and their flesh is particularly rich in antioxidants. Their flavour, halfway between that of raspberries and blackberries, has an incomparable aroma. This variety is non-remontant, but it offers an abundance of fruit throughout the month of July, up to 4 kg per plant! Planting from October to March, in well-tilled and enriched garden soil, non-calcareous, remaining slightly cool in summer. The bush, which produces few shoots, requires little maintenance, except for pruning after harvest.

To fully enjoy their flavour, raspberries should be consumed quickly after picking, as they do not keep well. Whether they are red, yellow or black, they are consumed in the same way. If you have an abundant harvest, consider making coulis, sorbets, ice creams, tarts or jams. You can also freeze them. Production reaches its normal level in the third year after planting. A plant can produce fruit for about 10 years. There are remontant varieties, producing from June to October, and non-remontant varieties, with an abundant harvest taking place around June - July.

The Black Jewel Organic Raspberry Bush comes from a species native to Canada and the United States. It is a deciduous shrub with thorny stems, forming a bush of 1.30 m (4ft) in height. The canes are biennial, each having the peculiarity of dying after fruiting. The leaves of raspberry bushes are green on the top, white-green and hairy on the underside. The flowering is very honey-scented. The white flowers are small (1 to 2 cm (0 to 1in) in diameter), grouped in small clusters of 10 to 12, and appear in April-May. The fruits are formed by small agglutinated drupes, easy to detach when ripe, whose colour varies depending on the varieties: red, yellow, or black for the Black Jewel variety.

The Raspberry Bush belongs to the Rosaceae family, like strawberries, blackberries, and wild roses. The wild raspberry is native to Europe and temperate Asia, where it grows in cool climates in the company of elderberry, beech, or mountain ash, especially in mountainous undergrowth, but also in the plains.