Here are a few of our favorite Raspberry Recipes:

Freezing Raspberries allows you to store fresh berries for future use:

• Lay fresh raspberries on a cookie sheet that has been greased, sprayed with a cooking spray, or oiled, assuring they do not touch each other.
• Place in freezer for as little as 30 minutes until berries are frozen. When frozen using this method, the berries will be loose in the bag allowing complete control of the amount you use.
• Put frozen berries in freezer bags and store in freezer until needed.

Raspberries & Cream – Our family loves a big bowl of raspberries and cream during raspberry season.  It is very refreshing and very simple.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup of fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup whipping cream, half & half or milk                               
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar or honey (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy.

Raspberry Pie – During the season, our family makes a fresh raspberry pie every Sunday.  When we get home from church, we sit down for family dinner. Typically we have a roast with mashed potatoes, brown gravy and vegetables. For dessert, we eat fresh raspberry pie with ice cream. It is a family favorite.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pastry recipe for a 9-inch single crust pie
• 4 cups raspberries (heaping)                            
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons tapioca (optional to grind the tapioca)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons butter
• 1 tablespoon half-and-half or milk
• Sprinkle of sugar (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix together the raspberries, sugar, tapioca, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt until raspberries are well covered.
2. Pour into 9-inch pastry shell. Dot with butter, top with crust.
3. Make slits in the top crust and brush with cream.
4. Sprinkle top of crust with sugar (optional)
5. Bake in a preheated 425 degrees oven for 15 minutes, then at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Raspberry Lemonade

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• Ice cubes
• Thin lemon slices

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix sugar, lemon juice and 6 cups of cold water.
2. Mix well until the sugar dissolves.
3. Puree raspberries in a food processor.
4. Mix the raspberries with the liquid.
5. Add ice and lemon slices if desired.

Raspberry Christmas Punch

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups frozen raspberries, partially thawed
• One 12-oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• One 46-oz. can of pineapple juice
• Two 32-oz. bottles of chilled Sprite, 7-Up or similar no-name brand

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place raspberries and lemonade in blender, process till smooth.
2. Pour into punch bowl.
3. Stir in pineapple juice.
4. Just before serving, add Sprite, 7-Up or similar no-name brand.