Raspberries are available year-round through regional harvests, with peak volume and sweetness from spring through summer (October to February).
Choose raspberries that are deep red, plump, firm, and have a soft matte sheen rather than a glossy look. Check the container base for moisture or leaks, and avoid mushy, dull, or mouldy berries.
Raspberries were so prized in 13th-century England that King Edward I (1272–1307) is credited with encouraging their mass cultivation nationwide, valued at the time as both a food for royal feasts and a medicine for the wealthy.