Raspberriessss Tips - Berry Trifle

Raspberriessss
Last year I was given some raspberry starts today I picked my first raspberry. I must say it was delish!
Now I shall compile tips on growing them & recipes....

From Fine Gardening:
Raspberries are not just another tasty berry; they are loaded with healthful attributes. They're high in fiber and contain vitamin A, folate, antioxidants, and numerous minerals; the juice contains vitamin C; and those sometimes-annoying little seeds contain vitamin E. And, of course, if you have a raspberry patch, you have endless dessert possibilities.

The key elements to raspberry success are careful selection of plant type, a good solid trellising system, and husbandry techniques that match the needs of the plant. Once everything is in place, your raspberry patch will provide you with many years of satisfaction.

Pruning for a long harvest season (I will need to do this)

The smooth green 1-year-old canes and the rougher brown 2-year-old canes are easy to tell apart. Each spring, 1-year-old canes are trimmed back to below the fruiting area, and 2-year-old canes are removed completely.

The main purpose of pruning is to get rid of older canes in favor of newer canes that will produce fruit. In late summer, some of your newly planted canes will begin to fruit at the top of the cane and continue into the fall. In the early spring of the following year, while the plants are still dormant, it's time to prune these now 1-year-old canes, and here is where we do something special.

The common method of pruning everbearing raspberries is simply to cut all of the canes down to about 1 inch from the ground. Though it's an easy way to go, this method eliminates the July crop. Fruiting doesn't begin until early fall, the reason some raspberry growers call everbearing raspberries "fall bearing." (This method is useful, however, if a disease has developed in your patch.)

Instead, the first spring, we cut the 1-year-old canes back to below the fruiting area, level with the top support wire. These shortened canes begin fruiting in July. In the meantime, leafy new canes, called primocanes, grow rapidly up from between the old canes. These new canes will flower and fruit later in the summer. We thin them out and clear away those suckers that popped up around the patch. The following spring, we remove the 2-year-old canes completely to make room for new growth, cutting them off at the ground, and we trim back the 1-year-old canes. We usually top-dress our raspberry patch with well-rotted manure and berry fertilizer in early spring. You can also prune summer-fruiting varieties using this method.

OH THE RECIPE!
Recipe: Berry Trifle
by Darlene White
Berry Trifle
10 generous servings, or 16 smaller ones

This summer party dessert looks spectacular in a traditional 12-cup trifle bowl. You can also make it with just raspberries.

Custard:
2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 egg yolks
1 Tbs. butter
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups whipping cream

Fruit:
1 pint raspberries
1 pint blueberries
1 pint strawberries
2 Tbs. confectioner’s sugar
2 Tbs. sherry or orange juice

Cake:
3 oz. package lady fingers
Half a 9 oz. angelfood cake
1/4 cup sherry or orange juice

To make the custard: Scald the milk in a heavy pot. Mix the sugar and flour together, and place in the top of a double boiler over hot water. Whisk in the scalded milk, then quickly whisk in the egg yolks. Cook, stirring, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla. Pour the custard into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper to prevent a skin from forming on top. Refrigerate until cool.

Line a traditional 12-cup glass trifle bowl with lady fingers and fill with custard and fruit for a spectacular Berry Trifle. Photo/Illustration: Scptt Phillips

Reserve a few whole berries to decorate the top. Place the rest of the raspberries and blueberries in a bowl. Slice the strawberries and add them to the bowl. Add the sugar and the 2 Tbs. sherry. Let the mixture steep 30 to 45 minutes to allow some of the fruit juices to be drawn out.

Whip the cream and mix a third of it into the custard; reserve the rest.

To assemble the trifle: Place 1 cup of the fruit mixture in the bottom of a 12-cup glass trifle bowl. Arrange the ladyfingers around the outer sides of the bowl. Top the ladyfingers with berries. Spoon half the custard mixture into the center of the bowl. Cut a couple of slices of angelfood cake into pieces and scatter them on top of the custard, then drizzle half the sherry on it, and top with the remaining fruit. Cover the fruit with slices of angelfood cake and drizzle it with the remaining sherry. Add the remaining custard to the dish, then spread the rest of the whipped cream evenly over the top.

Garnish the trifle with the reserved berries and mint or other edible leaves. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to meld.
260 cal, 14g fat, 100mg sodium, 2g fiber; small serving