3:30 pm - 72 degrees - cloudy...
I
love, love, love living in the mountains.
Being able to step outside the front door and walk around our property
harvesting wild berries, is just amazing!
Now that harvest season is upon us, it’s time to go on another berry
hike and see what we can find.
There
are so many different types of shrubs and trees that offer up a berry tempting
variety of fruits for our taste buds.
However, it’s always important to keep in mind that not all fruits found
in our forest are safe to eat. So after
a tasty stroll around the property, here’s what we found...
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| Blackcap aka Wild Black Raspberry {Rubus occidentalis} |
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| Blackcap aka Wild Black Raspberry {Rubus occidentalis} |
The Blackcap or Black
Raspberries are closely related to the Red Raspberry but the black fruit makes
them look like Blackberries. Even though
many may get them confused, they have a taste that is uniquely their own and oh
so delicious!
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| Blue Elderberry aka Blue Elder {Sambucus cerulea} |
Whether it be red or blue,
Elderberries are easy to like. They are
user-friendly. Jam, jelly, pies, syrup,
schnapps, brandy and wine can all be made from those tiny little berries. The flowers are also edible and can be used
in pancakes and muffins or just dipped in batter and fried. They also make a nice tea.
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| Blue Huckleberry {Vaccinium deliciosum} |
Any hiker in the Pacific Northwest worth
his or her weight in Huckleberries, know that late summer hiking has joys all
its own...of a juicy, purple/blue variety.
The wild Blue Huckleberry is a very coveted berry. Pickers often find themselves competing with
Black bears, cougars, and other native animals for the sweet, juicy
huckleberries which are just delicious in pies, jam, pancakes, muffins, ice
cream, syrup, and oh so much more.
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| Oregon Grape {Mahonia nervosa} |
The Oregon Grape is not related to true
grapes, but gets its name from the purple cluster of berries whose color and
slightly dusted appearance are reminiscent of grapes. The berries are highly acidic (sour), but
they make a delicious jam.
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| Oval Leaf Blueberry aka Alaska Blueberry aka Early Blueberry {Vaccinium ovalifolium} |
The wild Blueberries that we found in our yard are likely the most well
know berry on our list of berries we’ve found here. And personally I think they taste just as
good if not better than the ones bought in the store. I even had to pick a handful so I can make
Blueberry pancakes in the morning.
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| Red Elderberry {Sambucus racemosa} |
Some references say Red Elderberries are
edible, some say they are not. Basically
what I have found out is that if you eat a lot of raw, whole, Red Elderberries,
you will most likely end up with an upset stomach. If they are deseeded and cooked, then they
are just fine.
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| Red Huckleberry {Vaccinium parvifolium} |
These delicate translucent berries have
been a source of food for generations of Northwest natives, animals and people
alike. As heavily used as they are, not
everyone enjoys their tangy-tart flavor.
It is for this reason that the Red Huckleberries are usually combines
with other berries, like the Blueberry to add sweetness.
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| Salal {Gaultheria shallon} |
The Salal’s dark blue berries and young leaves are
both edible, and both with a unique flavor.
Salal berries were a significant food resource for Native Americas, who
both ate them fresh and dried them into cakes.
More recently, the berries are used in james, preserves and pies. They are often combined with Oregon Grape
berries because the tartness of the Oregon Grape is partially masked by the
mild sweetness of the Salal berries.
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| Salmonberry {Rubus spectabilis} |
The Salmonberry, Thimbleberry, Trailing Blackberry and
Black Caps all share the fruit structure of the Raspberry, with the fruit
pulling away from its receptacle. Books
often call the Salmonberry “insipid” but depending on ripeness and where you
found them, they are good eaten raw and when processed into jam, jelly and
wine.
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| Stink Currant aka Blue Currant {Ribes bracteosum} |
Stink Currant is named for its
skunky aroma. It’s far less pungent than
Skunk Cabbage, and the name doesn’t always translate to flavor. It seems that the flavor of these berries can
range anywhere from nasty to delicious.
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| Thimbleberry {Rubus parviflorus} |
Thimbleberries are larger, flatter, and softer than
Raspberries, and have many small seeds.
Because the fruit if so soft, it does not pack or ship well, so
Thimbleberries are rarely cultivated commercially. However, wild Thimbleberries can be eaten
raw, dried or made into jam.
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| Trailing Blackberry {Rubus ursinus} |
This Blackberry is not the big brambly invasive
bully lining area rivers and roadways.
Our native Trailing Blackberry likes to spread. Instead of forming self supported brambles,
it rambles about the landscape as a vine-like ground cover, but tastes just as
delicious as the brambly Blackberry.
...we
found quite a few actually! I just love
having all these delicious wild edible berries around our home!
