A green hedgerow formed of raspberry bushes, buzzing bees and bumblebees and…. raspberries at different stages of ripening. Yes, that’s right, the raspberries that grow on the plant are not all ripe at the same time. On a raspberry bush, you’ll find a mixture of brownish, yellow and finally, of course, beautiful red-pink fruit.

If you are curious about how the ripening process works and what colors go with the different stages, then we have explained the various stages from pollination to picking step by step for you:

Phase 1  |  Pollination
The bees and bumblebees of the local beekeeper take care of the pollination of the flowers. The flowers of the raspberry are very attractive to the bees and bumblebees, because they produce a lot of nectar with a high percentage of sugar (even more than the flowers of a strawberry, for example).

Phase 2  |  Swelling of the ovary
Once fertilization of the flower has taken place, the fruit will begin to develop. The ovary will then swell.

Phase 3  |  Brownish color stage
After two weeks, the fruit will be further developed but still have a brownish color.

Phase 4  |  Yellow color stage
One week later, the brownish color changes to yellow. Yellow is the color stage which indicates that about 4-5 days later the raspberry will be a beautiful red-pink.

Phase 5  |  Red-pink; ripe for picking
Once the raspberry is perfectly reddish-pink in color, it is ripe for picking.

Do you know why a raspberry is hollow?
When we pick raspberries, the receptacle remains attached to the plant. This is not edible, which is why we pick the raspberry like this. This is in contrast to the strawberry, where the receptacle remains attached to the fruit when it is picked and is edible.

Recipe inspiration:

Homemade iced tea   |   Gin & tonic with raspberries   |   Salad with prawns & raspberries   |   Raspberry & lemon cheesecake |   Puff pastry with raspberries   |   Tiramisu with raspberries