Foraging and freezing native berries

They are like no other, these native berries of Canada’s western and northern regions.

Northern  blueberries flourish in  slightly acidic sandy soils and begin to appear first in pine or spruce woods in August.  Look for clusters of deep blue to black berries on small shrubs 30 to 50 cm (12 to 24 inches) tall. Each kg (2 lbs.)  of picked blueberries equals about 2640 to 3520 individual berries.  If you find the task of picking too daunting, visit farmers’ markets where wild blueberries are offered for sale.

Lingonberries aka, low bush or bog cranberries can also be found in northern bogs and muskeg. Look for low, creeping dwarf shrubs with small leathery, lustrous, evergreen, oval shaped leaves that are rounded at their tips. The pink, urn shaped flowers evolve into bright red, relatively small but fleshy berries surrounding a small stone or pit.  While the raw berries are quite tart and acidic, they make excellent sauces, jams and jellies either alone or in combination with other fruits.

Saskatoon berries, can still be found along riverbanks, in bluffs and coulees across the prairies.  Look for trees or shrubs from one to four metres high, with smooth brown branches and simple leaves with rounded tips, the fruit, hanging in clusters of six to twelve berries, will range in color from blue purple to red or almost black. The season is short, with best picking from mid July to early august.  If you don’t have time to scour the countryside, take advantage of saskatoons available at numerous commercial growers across the prairies.

Mother nature also provides bountiful lesser known crops like buffalo berries and rose hips, ripe for the picking.  Buffalo berries, commonly found in coulees and around sloughs, grow as a thorny shrub two to six metres high, with silvery round-tipped leaves. The fruit is round, coral red and very sour.  Experts advise the easiest way to pick is after a hard frost. Place a blanket under the shrub, hit the branches and collect those fallen berries. Buffalo berries produce unusual wines, dark ades and jellies particularly suited to meat and fish.

Rose hips can be found almost anywhere.  Look for small shrubs with thorned, branched stems and in late fall, the tufted orange or red capsules (rose hips).  They can be enjoyed prior to or after the first autumn frost.  Simply pare off the tuft, cut in half and remove the seeds and enjoy in salads, cooked like fresh fruit, or make into delicious jams, jellies or syrups.

Freezing berries like blueberries, Saskatoons, or cranberries, is easy. Sort, rinse several times in chilled water and drain well.    Pack desired portions into freezer bags removing all air from the bag, or spread berries on trays and put into freezer until hard then pack into bags or sanitized containers, leaving 1 cm (1/2 inch) headspace. Label, date and freeze.   This provides the flexibility of pulling out as many berries as you need.