A number of different types of raspberry salad recipes are available, making use of the tart red berries in a variety of colorful and tasty ways. Green spinach, white Gorgonzola cheese and red raspberries make an attractive and delicious combination, for example, and can be topped off with crunchy walnuts or slices of red onion for texture and even more flavor and color. Other types of raspberry salad include a fruit salad with melons and blueberries, or mangoes and avocados. Choices also include chicken salad, molded gelatin salads, a pea-based salad or a simple spring salad of greens and berries. A raspberry salad also may be interpreted to mean a salad of greens topped off with a raspberry dressing.
Cooking with raspberries can be a fun pursuit because of the many types of dishes that can be adapted to include the fruit. They can be used simply, tossed onto a dish of plain ice cream or yogurt, or as a topping for pancakes and waffles. They can liven up cakes and puddings and many kinds of desserts. A raspberry salad can be eaten alone for a tasty lunch, or it can be just one of several dishes presented as a meal. A raspberry salad can be made with not only the red variety of raspberries, but also with black, golden and purple varieties, giving the salad a different look and presentation.
Raspberries must be handled gently because they are quite fragile and bruise easily. Bruising is more than unsightly; it can lead to the berry going bad very quickly. No matter which way a cook chooses to use raspberries, they should not be washed until right before they are ready to be used because moisture leads to deterioration. A quick wash or rinse is best, as too much water will turn the berries mushy. They should be drained on a paper towel and gently patted dry. A cook can give the berries’ red color a boost in some recipes by combining them with orange or lemon juice, or sugar.
The berries do not have a long shelf life and tend to go bad quickly. They should be refrigerated as soon as possible after they are picked or bought, and even then it is best to eat them within a few days. Raspberries can be frozen for as long as 12 months.
