The three main types of raspberries are red, black, and yellow. Other varieties may be colored apricot, amber, and purple.

Red raspberries are the most widely available. They are moderately tart and well suited for exquisite desserts, as well as for jams and jellies, and they keep well when frozen.

Black raspberries are sometimes known as “black caps,” and they are especially popular in jams and ice cream. The fruit is blue-black, round, and small, with a faint whitish bloom on the exterior of the berry. Their flavor is moderately tart. Like red raspberries, these have drupelets arranged around a hollow core; however, the black ones are seedier.

Yellow varieties, considered a variant of red raspberries, are called “white raspberries.” This variety is rarely available commercially because it is very soft.

Purple raspberries are considered a hybrid between the red and black varieties, and are a little more tart than the other colors.