Eating enough fruits and vegetables can sometimes be a challenge in our busy daily routines. The warmest weeks of the year and all the fresh seasonal produce available now should make adhering to the "Five a day" rule a breeze. Rather than forcing ourselves to follow strict nutritional programs and diets, this is the perfect time to indulge in the bounty of fresh seasonal produce. In Germany people love their fresh fruits and every year consume an average of almost 180 pounds per capita. North America and Europe have many summer fruits in common, such as cherries and some favorite berries, including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Some varieties like gooseberries and currants are more popular and much more readily available in Western and Central Europe.

Find out more about summer fruits and horticulture in Germany

Have a Berry Cherry Summer! Fresh Fruit Recipes from Germany

We've put together the perfect recipe collection to make the most out of the berry and cherry season. Ranging from sweet to refreshingly tart in flavor, cherries and berries in all their great varieties are not just delicious but also very nutritious since they are packed with vitamins and minerals. The fact that these summer fruits are already bite sized makes them the perfect seasonal snacks. Therefore, the general rule for your trip to the local framer's market, or even better the closest berry fields or fruit orchards is always to eat the fruits freshly picked. What to do with the fruits you haven't managed to eat right away? Get your culinary inspiration from us, which means straight from Germany. These recipes will bring out the best in this summer's berries and cherries.

Summer recipes for berries and cherries

Share Your Favorite German-Inspired Summer Recipes

Do you have a favorite summer recipe which is inspired by your favorite food or drink from Germany? Or are you the keeper of a wonderful family recipe from Germany which you have been wanting to share with the German foods community? Don't wait any longer because we have improved our Recipe Exchange page to make the submitted recipes more accessible. When sending us a recipe, please pick a screen name or tell us how exactly you would like to be credited (your full name, part of your name or initials and/or your city, state).

Explore the Recipe Exchange