ABSTRACT
Dewberries are simply trailing blackberries. Usually dewberries ripen earlier than blackberries and the flowers are few and scattered, while blackberries usually have dense clusters of flowers. Blackberries are an excellent fruit when perfectly ripe but are unfit for use when picked before they are mature. Blackberries and dewberries are tasty and extremely rich in antioxidants, compounds known to be beneficial to health. Blackberries may be eaten in the same manner as raspberries—fresh alone, with cream, or cooked in tarts, pastries, and preserves. They go well with ice cream, fresh cream, and yogurt, and complement fruit salads, tarts, crêpes, and breakfast cereals. Blackberries are also used to make jams, jellies, syrup, juice, wine, and brandy. In Denmark, a blackberry soup is prepared. The red and purple pigments have made blackberries an occasional food colorant in past times, and such extracts, known for their antioxidant properties, have potential for use in various products marketed for health promotion.
