What is loganberry?

The loganberry, or the Latin name Rubus loganobaccus, is a fruit that belongs to the Rosaceae family and originates from the western United States of America. The Rosaceae family is largely known for containing apples, pears, blackberries, cherries, and red raspberries.

Loganberries are a cross between the red raspberry and the blackberry.  They are dark red and have a longer body compared to raspberries. Similar to raspberries and blackberries, they are juicy with a slightly tart flavour.

This fruit was first developed during the late 1800s in Santa Cruz, California by James Logan, whom the loganberry was named after, to improve the berry variety.¹ Today they are grown and naturalized in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Tasmania. 

Like its other relatives, loganberries can be eaten raw or cooked. They make excellent jams and are a great addition to pies. The tarter berries are excellent for making jams or freezing for smoothies. They are great for sweet recipes such as sorbets, ice creams, and pies, but also a tasty addition to savoury dishes such as duck or chicken for a hint of tartness. Whether creating a syrup or just eating it plain, loganberries are diverse in the world of food.

Health benefits of loganberry

There are many health benefits of loganberries. They contain many vitamins and nutrients that help support: 

• Heart health
• Immune support
• Vision health
• Women’s health and pregnancy support
• Gluten-free
• Digestion
• Skin health

Nutritional facts

Loganberries contain many nutrients and vitamins that are essential for health.

Folate

Folate is a form of vitamin B9 that helps form DNA and RNA. It is needed for healthy red blood cells and is crucial during pregnancy. Normally, folate helps aid in heart health, brain health, and preventing cancer. In terms of pregnancy, not getting enough folate can contribute to birth defects in the brain and spine.²

Manganese

Manganese is important for the breakdown of protein, cholesterol, and carbohydrates. This mineral helps in a plethora of important processes in your body, including maintaining your immune system, reproductive system, and building strong bones and works hand in hand with vitamin K to heal wounds.³

Iron

Iron is a mineral essential for red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. Iron deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies and is characterised by lightheadedness, fatigue, and shortness of breath.⁴

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that supports heart health, vision, and brain health and helps in preventing cancer. Because of its antioxidant properties, this vitamin supports immune health and prevents blood clots.⁵

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is commonly associated with citrus fruits but loganberries can also contribute to your daily intake. Known for boosting the immune system, this antioxidant is needed to make collagen, essential in many systems in the body including the immune and nervous systems.⁶

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is an essential component of bone health and blood clotting. It can also help with some symptoms of menstruation.⁷

Vitamin B5

Vitamin B5 also called pantothenic acid is a vitamin that helps break down fatty acids to glucose, the fuel for the body, and is suspected to help reduce cholesterol. It has also been proposed to reduce inflammation but research is still limited.⁸

Side effects and other concerns

Before consuming or using loganberries, it is important to wash your fruit to ensure there are no bugs or dirt on your fruit. You can either rinse them under cold water or put them in a diluted vinegar solution. This vinegar solution also helps prevent them from spoiling quickly. It is also important to check your loganberries for any mould. You should not consume them if they have moulded.

It is important to be aware of the amount of loganberries that you eat if you have a gastrointestinal disorder. While this fruit does not contain as much fructose as others, it can still lead to bloating, gas, and stomach aches. First start eating loganberries in small portions to ensure no adverse effects.

Summary

Loganberries are a fruit in the Rosaceae family that is a crossbreed of the red raspberry and the blackberry originally cultivated in the Western United States. It is longer than a raspberry with a deep red colour. This fruit has many incredible health benefits from its many vitamins and minerals. It can aid in brain, heart, and skin health, digestion, immune support, and support healthy pregnancies. This fruit has a multitude of ways to be eaten. It pairs great in sweets such as pies, or even in your evening duck dinner as a hint of tartness.