In this Student Learning Material, ‘berry’ has the common, everyday meaning, not the scientific one.
Generally, we understand berry as referring to small fruit borne on bushes and low plants, not trees. Berries are sometimes also called ‘soft fruits’.
Berry fruits common in New Zealand include:
strawberries
raspberries
blackberries
boysenberries
blueberries
blackcurrants
redcurrants
gooseberries
cranberries.
Common berry fruit characteristics include:
Ranging from round, oval, elongated, to heart-shaped.
Ranging from red to blue to purple to black; also green, white and golden.
Soft, small seeds.
Sweet with underlying tartness; distinctive to the fruit.
Eaten fresh or cooked in tarts, pies, flans, creamy desserts, coulis, jam and jelly.