Name: Blackberry, also called bramble (Rubus spp., chiefly the Rubus fruticosus aggregate). Thousands of cultivated and wild hybrids share the same common name.
Description
Blackberry is the common name for the prickly, cane-forming shrubs of the genus Rubus in the rose family, as well as the dark fruit they produce. The plants are native across the north temperate zone and grow especially abundantly as wild brambles in eastern North America and along the Pacific coast; today they are also grown as a commercial crop throughout North America and Europe, with thousands of named hybrids and cultivars, including modern thornless types bred for easier picking.
What looks like a single berry is technically an aggregate of many small drupelets fused from one flower — the same structure as a raspberry, except a blackberry's drupelets stay attached to a solid, juicy white core when picked rather than pulling free to leave a hollow centre. Several wild blackberry species, notably the Himalayan blackberry, have become aggressive invasive plants outside their native range.
Main nutrition value
Per 100g, raw blackberries:
| Name | Average Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Proximates | ||
| Water | 88.2 | g |
| Energy | 43 | kcal |
| Energy | 181 | kJ |
| Protein | 1.39 | g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 0.49 | g |
| Ash | 0.37 | g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 9.61 | g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 5.3 | g |
| Sugars, total | 4.88 | g |
| Sucrose | 0.07 | g |
| Glucose | 2.31 | g |
| Fructose | 2.4 | g |
| Starch | 0 | g |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium, Ca | 29 | mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.62 | mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 20 | mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 22 | mg |
| Potassium, K | 162 | mg |
| Sodium, Na | 1 | mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.53 | mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.165 | mg |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.646 | mg |
| Selenium, Se | 0.4 | µg |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 21 | mg |
| Thiamin | 0.02 | mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.026 | mg |
| Niacin | 0.646 | mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.276 | mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.03 | mg |
| Folate, total | 25 | µg |
| Vitamin A, IU | 214 | IU |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 19.8 | µg |
Blackberries are a strong source of manganese and vitamin K, alongside solid vitamin C and fiber — at 5.3g per 100g, few fruits pack in as much fiber.
How best to be consumed
Blackberries are best enjoyed fresh and fully ripe, since they don't continue ripening once picked and their flavour peaks right off the cane; a quick rinse just before eating keeps their texture intact. They also hold up well in cooking — jams, cobblers, and sauces are traditional uses — though heat and added sugar reduce some of their vitamin C.
Overconsumption could cause…
Blackberries are safe and well tolerated in ordinary amounts. The main things to be mindful of are their fairly high fiber content, which can cause bloating or loose stools if eaten in large quantities at once, and their small hard seeds, which occasionally bother people with sensitive digestion. Their modest oxalate content is not a concern for most people but can matter for those prone to kidney stones eating very large amounts regularly.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central — Blackberries, raw (FDC ID 173946), 100g portion: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/173946/nutrients Encyclopaedia Britannica — Blackberry: https://www.britannica.com/plant/blackberry-fruit
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