Mixed berries

Yes. Add them straight to porridge, pancake batter or a smoothie; for a crumble, bake them from frozen and add a few extra minutes so the fruit heats through.

Use them cold, pat away any excess moisture if they have thawed, and toss them in a little of the recipe’s flour before folding them in. Frozen berries can go in straight from the freezer.

Keep fresh berries dry and unwashed in a shallow container in the fridge, and use them within a few days. Remove any mouldy or crushed berries promptly; wash the rest just before eating.

They work well in a berry crumble, summer pudding, compote or fruit fool. Simmer them briefly with a splash of water for compote, or layer them with yoghurt and toasted oats for an easy breakfast.

Usually, but mixed fruit is often sweeter and less tart: it has 18.9 g of carbohydrate per 100 g, compared with 7.4 g in mixed berries. In baking, reduce added sugar slightly if the fruit is very sweet.

Yes. Mixed berries have 39 kcal per 100 g, while blueberries have 61 kcal per 100 g.

Not necessarily: a mix with sour cherries includes a tart stone fruit, so its flavour and texture differ from a berry-only blend. It has 50 kcal per 100 g, compared with 39 kcal in mixed berries.

Yes, provided they are fresh and washed under cool running water just before eating. Discard berries that are mouldy or smell fermented; do not taste-test them.