One of the wonderful things about raspberries is the fact that you can go on harvesting some varieties right through to October and those late raspberries are just as sweet as any picked during the height of the summer. The other thing that makes them a special fruit is their ability to hold their shape when frozen and retain that “just picked” look when you thaw them out.

Although the red varieties are probably the most popular, there are golden raspberries, purple raspberries, black ones too. Surprisingly, the golden raspberries taste very similar to the other species, as do the purple fruited ones.

Although they are on general sale throughout the summer in supermarkets, you will probably have noticed how they shrink when packed into those little plastic boxes and how it is quite usual to discover a few discoloured by mould at the bottom of the box. They are a very delicate fruit that perishes easily so they need to be picked and stored carefully. They are not designed for supermarket packaging.

It is no good trying to cram too many into a box, they will end up squashed and only be fit to use to make your smoothies or mix with other fruits in a pie. If you are able to visit your local pick-your-own and harvest them yourself, you are in for a treat. They are one of the easiest fruits to pick, as the fruit is ready when it removes easily from the torus or receptacle. They don’t need top and tailing as gooseberries do and there is no large stone to remove from the centre. (Each individual raspberry is made up of about 100 drupelets, which each contain a juicy pulp and a single central seed.) So not only are they easy to pick, they are easy to prepare too once you get them home. Although they will keep a couple of days if stored in the refrigerator, it is best to eat them the day they are picked, particularly during the hot weather when they deteriorate rapidly. Raspberries are particularly low in calories but are a rich source of dietary fibre, also antioxidants — 100 grams containing just 52 calories yet providing 6.5 grams of fibre which is 16 per cent of recommended daily intake.

Obviously they are a rich source of vitamin C. They are rich in vitamin A and E and a good amount of minerals such as potassium, manganese, copper, iron and magnesium. In other words. they don’t just taste good, they are essential for optimum health.

The interesting thing about leaves from the red raspberry is that, due to the fruit’s high vitamin and mineral content, they can be used fresh or dried in tisanes. They are most commonly used as a tea during childbirth and afterwards to enrich the mother’s milk. Tea created from the dried leaves is often given to horses too. So what is the best way of using this year’s crop of raspberries, which are available in abundance this year and so succulent? Perhaps the best way of serving them is on their own, with just a little double cream, or mixed with oats for breakfast. If you are looking for a glorious taste, try sprinkling them with a little balsamic vinegar, that really is a mix made in heaven.

I like to stock the freezer with little pots of homemade coulis that can be used as a sauce for either savoury poultry dishes or sweet desserts.

Home-prepared raspberry sorbet and a few summer puddings that freeze perfectly and make an ideal festive dessert will help remind you of summer when the snow lies thick.

I also freeze as many little bags of raspberries, mixed with other berry fruits that I can call on when making a smoothie. They go particularly well with blueberries and look great when mixed with blueberries when decorating a cake. Frozen raspberries can also be used to throw into a muffin mix. They make the most perfect squidgy muffins, and are great when turned into a crumble too, especially when mixed with a few faller apples that you can’t bring yourself to throw away because they are only slightly bruised. The best way of freezing raspberries is to place them on a flat tray, and then when they are solid, remove and pack them into small plastic containers. This way they will remain free flowing and ready to be used one by one, rather than as a big blob of frozen fruit that is difficult to separate into small pieces.

Raspberries should last up to a year in the freezer, but do store them in a container with a well fitted lid to prevent freezer aromas spoiling their delicate flavour. And one last piece of advice . . . go and pick as many as you can, eating them while they are fresh and warm from the sun. Their flavour reflects the very essence of summer — they should be enjoyed.