Fruit (View Vegetables)

Black Currant

Also known as

• Cassis

Black currants have a very sweet and sharp taste. They are made into jelly, jam, juice, ice cream, cordial and liqueur. Black currants are used in cooking because their astringent nature brings out the flavour in many sauces and meat dishes.

Substitutes

• Blueberry
• Red Currant
• Gooseberry

Blackberry

Also known as

• Bramble

Blackberries are popular for use in desserts, jams, jellies and sometimes wine. They have large seeds which can be strained out when used in cooking. Blackberries are rich in vitamins C and E, and antioxidants.

Substitutes

• Loganberry
• Boysenberry
• Raspberry

Blueberry

The small size and sturdiness of blueberries make them ideal for jellies, jams, cakes, pies, muffins, snack foods and cereals. They have a sweet taste when mature, with variable acidity. Ripe blueberries have white or greenish flesh. Blueberries are one of only a few human foods that are naturally coloured blue.

Substitutes

• Red Currant
• Raisins (in baked goods)
• Dates (in baked goods)
• Bananas (in baked goods)

Boysenberry

A boysenberry is a cross between a blackberry, a raspberry, and a loganberry, "invented" in California in the 1920s. It's more fragile than a blackberry, but it also lacks the blackberry's conspicuous seeds. It has a distinctly tart flavour.

Substitutes

• Loganberry
• Blackberry (this has larger, more noticeable seeds)
• Raspberry

Cape Gooseberry

Also known as

• Physalis
• Golden Berry

The Cape gooseberry is related to the tomato and tomatillo. The fruit is a small round berry, about the size of a marble, full of small seeds. It is bright yellow when ripe, and very sweet, making it ideal for baking into pies and making jam. Its most notable feature is the single papery pod that covers each berry. Because of the fruit's decorative appearance, it is sometimes used in restaurants as an exotic garnish for desserts.

Substitutes

• Tomatillo
• Gooseberry
• Cherry Tomato

Cranberry

Also known as

• Bounceberry

Traditionally cranberries are used to make sauce/jelly and served with roasted poultry. The berry is also used in baking (muffins, scones and cakes) but, unlike many other berries, is normally considered too sharp to be eaten unaccompanied.

Substitutes

• Rhubarb

Gooseberry

Gooseberries are large, tart and acidic. They are an excellent accompaniment for roasted meats, and are also used in pies, jams and desserts including the traditional "gooseberry fool" (made with pureed fruit, cream and custard).

Substitutes

• Rhubarb
• Kiwifruit
• Red Currant

Grape

Also known as

• Table Grape

Many varieties of grapes are turned into wine, vinegar, jelly, and raisins, but table grapes are for eating out of hand. They're classified by their colour and by whether they have seeds or not.

Substitutes

• Kiwifruit
• Blueberries (in fruit salad)

Keriberry

Keriberries have a delicious taste similar to raspberries and blackberries. The fruit is very sweet and jucy and is rich in vitamins A and C. Keriberry juice is used in wine, brandy and many syrups. Keriberry can also be used for preparing jams, jellies, muffins and other cooked desserts.

Kiwifruit

Also known as

• Chinese Gooseberry
• Kiwi

Kiwifruit can be eaten whole, like an apple (and rarely including the skin, which increases the tartness), cut in half and eaten like a passionfruit or peeled and sliced, like a pineapple. It is also used is sauces, sorbets and as a dessert topping.

Substitutes

• Gooseberry (much smaller berries)
• Strawberry
• Papaya
• Pear (different flavour)

Loganberry

Loganberries were created by an accidental cross of raspberries and blackberries. They have the combined flavour of both berries, are as large as blackberries and have a rich dark red colour. They can be eaten out of hand or used in jams, pies, crumbles, fruit syrups and wines. Loganberries can be used interchangeably with raspberries or blackberries in most recipes.

Substitutes

• Raspberry
• Blackberry
• Boysenberry

Raspberry

Raspberries have a distinctive sweet and tart flavour, and are excellent in jams, pies, as dessert toppings, or simply by themselves. The fruit is hollow and fragile, and can spoil quickly which tends to increase the price because it's harder to get them to market in good condition. They do, however, freeze well.

Substitutes

• Loganberry
• Strawberry
• Blackberry
• Boysenberry

Red Currant

Red currant fruit is slighty more sour than its relative the black currant, and is cultivated mainly for jams and cooked dishes, rather than for eating raw.

Substitutes

• Blueberry
• Black Currant (for preserves)
• White Currant (for eating raw)
• Gooseberry (tarter)
• Cranberry (as a garnish)
• Blackberries

Strawberry

Strawberries are enjoyed unprepared and commonly used in jams, preserves and desserts. They are also a popular addition to dairy products, as in strawberry flavoured ice cream, milkshakes and yogurts. Strawberries can be frozen and are hardier than most other berries.

Substitutes

• Raspberry
• Kiwifruit

White Currant

White currants are a less sour and colourless variant of red currant (they are, in fact, the same species). As with all currants, they are ideal for serving fresh or made into jams, jellies, pies and wine-making.

Substitutes

• Red Currant