Chapter 4.27
4.27 Blackcaps
Brooke Morton, University of Guelph, Canada
Suggested citation for this chapter.
Morton,B. (2022) Fleshy Fruits. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/
Background
A black cap is a small, seedy, tart berry grown on black cap bushes. They are a type of black raspberry and are part of the rubus family. The rubus family includes all flowering plants of the rose family. Other plants like this are black berries, thimbleberries, dewberries, and all variations of raspberries. Black caps are quite like other small berries; their small size, dark colour, flesh type, and tart flavour distinguish them from other berries. What makes black caps unique to other raspberries is that they are mostly tart instead of sweet, and they are much darker in colour than red or yellow raspberries. We can tell the difference between a black cap and a blackberry by examining the skin of the fruits. Black berries are shiny and smooth, while black caps are dull and have small fibrous hairs. A black cap bush is similar to wild blackberry bushes, and other raspberry bushes. To distinguish a black cap bush from these other plants, look at the stems. The stems of a black cap bush are round and have coarse ridges. The leaves of the plant are a light green and the stems have thin thorns (Chandler Cook et. al, 2016).
History and geographical origins
Black caps are native to southern Ontario, they have been used by the people of this land for a long time. The Anishinaabe peoples are a group of First Nations peoples who have lived on the land in southern Ontario for hundreds of years before European settlers came over. The Anishinaabe used black caps as medicine to treat their ailments. They boiled the root of the black cap plant and use the resulting liquid as medicine. This product was used to treat back pain and stomach pain. It also served as an eyewash for sore eyes (Weber J. T., 2021).
Black caps are native to north central and northeastern North America. They grow across the continent east to west, from New Brunswick to Colorado, north to south from New Brunswick to Georgia (Lim T.K, 2012). Other varieties of black raspberries are grown across the globe, such as in Eastern Europe and in eastern Asia.
Cultivation
A black cap plant is planted in the spring. All raspberries require deep, well-drained soil to produce as much fruit possible. Since a black cap is a variety of raspberry, it requires the same type of soil. To produce a large yield of berries, it is important to maintain organic matter in the soil, this can be done by adding manure to soil, or by using cover crops around the bushes. When growing black caps commercially, fertilizer is often used to get a higher yield. Farmers will often use fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorous, and potash (Dodge, J.C. and Washington State University, 1971). The ratio of these ingredients in the fertilizers used is determined by doing a soil test to see how much of each element is already in the soil. Once the black cap plant is in the ground, it takes two years for the plant to produce berries. After these two years, berries are produced annually in early summer. The picking season for black caps is quite short, being about a month long.
Benefits
Health benefits
Black caps are a tiny fruit and are packed with health benefits. Black caps contain phenolic acid and anthocyanin pigment. Phenolic acid contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Antioxidants are beneficial because they help fight off cancer causing cells in the body (Jeong, J. H., et. al, 2010). Other types of antioxidants include blueberries, other raspberries, and strawberries. Anthocyanin is the pigment in black caps that gives them their dark colour. Black caps consumption is also linked to increased night-vision, reduced eyestrain, and DNA protection, because of their pigment (Dossett, M. et. al, 2010).
Nutrition facts
Black raspberries are packed with nutrients. They are a great source of dietary fiber and vitamin C, calcium, iron, and folate. Dietary fiber is an important component of a diet because a diet high in fiber leads to a healthy digestive system. Fiber is an indigestible nutrient and is passed through the entire digestive system. Vitamin C is important because it boosts our immune system function, and it is an antioxidant.
(https://www.raspberryblackberry.com/wp-content/uploads/black_raspberry_handouts.pdf, 2021)
Benefits to indigenous communities
Black caps have potential to be beneficial to indigenous communities here in southern Ontario. This is because of the health benefits of the fruit, and the accessibility of the plant. Fruits and vegetables are vital to human health because they are filled with micronutrients and vitamins that are needed by our bodies. Not eating enough fruit and vegetables can have negative effects on our health. From a study done by Alison Gates, and others, published in 2012, it was found that indigenous children do not eat enough fruits and vegetables (Gates, A, 2012). This study was done by selecting group of indigenous children from different indigenous communities across Ontario and comparing the servings of fruit and vegetables they ate to the number of servings recommended by the current dietary standards. Black caps can be beneficial to indigenous communities because they are very nutrient rich and therefore beneficial to human health. By introducing black caps to the diets of these children, they would have access to an abundance of nutrients provided by the fruit. Black caps are also a good option to help solve this issue because black cap bushes can be grown wherever there is nutrient rich soil, so the fruit is easily accessible.
Benefits to Canada
The addition of Canadian-grown black caps to the food market would be beneficial to Canada economically. By growing and selling black caps, more jobs will become available, there will be more money spent on Canadian product, and Canada will have more product to export.
Black cap cultivation is a labour-intensive job, machines like tractors are hard to use between rows of berries so the pruning and picking process requires individuals to tend to the plants. Farmers of black caps will need employees to tend to the black caps during their picking season for picking and the time surrounding picking season can be spent picking weeds around the bushes, ensuring the plants have enough organic matter surrounding them to grow a proper yield, and pruning the bushes for their health. The suggested addition of greenhouses to black cap cultivation will also require people to build the greenhouses, and people to maintain the greenhouses.
Adding black caps to the food market will increase the money spent on Canadian products by Canadians. Black caps are a Canadian fruit, they can be grown locally in southern Ontario and sold by local vendors, either retail or farmer’s markets. By adding black caps to the shelves of markets, Canadians gain the opportunity to support local Canadian business and therefore support Canadian economy.
Black caps can be a potential product for export for Canada. If the popularity surrounding black caps and their versatility as a product rises across the world, it is Canada has the opportunity to benefit. Canada is one of few regions across the world that has soil and climate conditions that are ideal for growing black caps. This gives Canada an advantage in international trade as Canada could add black caps to their list of popular exports.
Consumption
Black caps are eaten like many other fruits. They can be frozen, used in baking, used as an ingredient for other foods, used in jams, juices, or jellies, or eaten raw. Many food brands have adopted using black caps as an ingredient, both for their flavour and health benefits.
Frozen black caps can be used in beverages, smoothies, baking, or eaten as they are. In baking, black caps can be used as the key ingredient in a recipe; such as black cap pie. The fruit can also be used in other foods like trail mixes or cereals for a snack. Adding it to foods used for snacks is a smart way to incorporate a healthy addition to someone’s diet. Jams, jellies, and juices are a common way for people to add fruit to their diets.
References
1. Cook, C, et. al. Ariel Foundation Park. (2016). Black Raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) & Wild Blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis). https://learning.arielfoundationpark.org/index.php/learning-stations/the-woods/plants/67-black-raspberry-rubus-occidentalis-wild-blackberry-rubus-allegheniensis
2. Dodge, J. C. & Washington State University. Cooperative Extension Service. (1971). Growing Raspberries in Washington (Rev. ed.). Academic Service.
3. Dossett, M., Lee, J., & Finn, C. E. (2010). Variation in anthocyanins and total phenolics of black raspberry populations. Journal of Functional Foods, 2(4), 292–297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2010.10.004
4. Gates, A., Hanning, R. M., Gates, M., Skinner, K., Martin, I. D., & Tsuji, L. J. S. (2012).
5. Vegetable and Fruit Intakes of On-Reserve First Nations Schoolchildren Compared to Canadian Averages and Current Recommendations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 9(4), 1379–1397. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph9041379
6. Jeong, J. H., Jung, H., Lee, S. R., Lee, H. J., Hwang, K. T., & Kim, T. Y. (2010). Anti-oxidant,anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory activities of the extracts from black raspberry fruits and wine. Food Chemistry, 123(2), 338–344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.04.040
7. Kang, J., Thakali, K. M., Jensen, G. S., & Wu, X. (2014). Phenolic Acids of the Two Major Blueberry Species in the US Market and Their Antioxidant
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9. McClellan, M. (2021, August 2). Classic black raspberry jam recipe [Photograph]. Food in Jars. https://foodinjars.com/recipe/classic-black-raspberry-jam-recipe/
10. Smuckers. (2021). Smucker’s Seedless Black Raspberry Blackberry Jam, 18 Ounces [Photograph].
11. Wang, H., Cao, G., & Prior, R. L. (1996). Total Antioxidant Capacity of Fruits. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 44(3), 701–705. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf950579y
12. Weber, J. T. (2021). Traditional uses and beneficial effects of various species of berry-producing plants in eastern Canada. Botany, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjb-2021-0086
13. Windmill country market. (2019). Raspberries [Photograph]. Windmill Country Market. https://www.thewindmill.ca/products/raspberries