Believe it or Not… It’s a Berry

There are two different ways to categorize produce, culinarily and botanically. While we like to think that any fruit with the word berry in the name is a berry, more than likely, they are not… botanically speaking.

Fruits have four botanic families that include citrus (lemons, limes, oranges), pomes (apples and pears), drupes (stone fruit including cherries, peaches, and plums), and berries.

Fruits are also categorized by which part of a plant develops into the fruit. For example, some fruits develop from flowers containing one ovary, while others develop from flowers containing several.

Berries are the most common type of simple, fleshy fruit.

Seed

All fruits are categorized by their skin and flesh. They all have three layers:

Exocarp – Outer layer (skin) Mesocarp – Flesh, this is usually what is eaten. Endocarp –This is a layer that encloses the seeds.

Epidermis or skin

To be considered a true botanical berry, fruits must:

• have a thin endocarp • be fleshy without a stone or pit • be produced from a single flower that contains one ovary

So, by this definition, grapes, currants, tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, eggplants, pumpkins and bananas are all classified as botanical berries! And strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries are not because they develop from flowers with multiple ovaries.

We find all of this so “berry” interesting!

Sources: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Handbook for Fruits and Fruit Processing