Wild Berries Of Idaho (Part One)

These are all berries i remember picking in my youth around Bear Lake Idaho and can be found in most of the northwest Rockies.  I’d like to thank my mother for this great info, part one of three, enjoy.

Jon

 

Chokecherry                                                              

(Prunus virginiana, P. melanocarpa, P. demissa)

-Also known as choke berry.

 

Several species of Chokecherries grow throughout the Northern Rocky Mountains.  Growing as shrubs or small trees, Chokecherries rarely reach 15 feet in height.  Their oval leaves are 2-3 in. long, about half as wide, pointed at the tips, and with sawtooth edges.  The small white flowers, growing in long clusters, appear when the spring leaves are nearly full grown.  The dark red-to-purple fruit, the size of peas, ripens in July and August and contain a large seed.  The fruit grows in clusters as well.  The Chokecherry favors moist ravines and stream banks.

Chokecherry twig tea has been known to help with fever and abdominal pains.  Chokecherries also make good juices, jams, jellies, and syrups.  The longer the fruit stays on the tree, the better the flavor.  When the birds begin to eat them, they have reached their peak.

The best way to extract the juice is to put 2 pints of water for every gallon of stemmed fruit into a large pot.   (Stemmed means to remove the cherries from the long stem the cluster hangs on.)   Simmer the fruit under a lid for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cool the cooked mass, then pour it into a clean pillow case.  Suspend the pillow case over a container to catch the liquid as it runs through.  You can squeeze and twist the case, or leave it hanging overnight, to extract as much juice as possible from the pulp.

 

Chokecherry Butter

6-8 c stemmed Chokecherries

1 c water

1 ½ c brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

Put the stemmed Chokecherries in a pot with water.  Simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Mash mixture and put through a sieve.  Measure out 1 quart of the sieved pulp.

Preheat oven to 300˚.  Add brown sugar and spices to pulp.  Put into a baking pan and bake in oven, stirring every 30 minutes until it is thick.  Ladle into sterilized canning jars and seal in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

 

Chokecherry Jam

6-8 c stemmed Chokecherries

1 c water

8 c sugar

6 oz bottle liquid pectin or                                                                                                                  ½ c powdered pectin and ½ c more water

Put the stemmed Chokecherries in a pot with water.  Simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Mash mixture and put through a sieve.  Measure out 5 c of the sieved pulp.

In a saucepan, simmer the pulp for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the sugar and bring to a boil again.  Boil hard for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the liquid pectin and boil for another minute.  (If using powdered pectin, reserve a cup of the sugar.  Stir the pectin into the cup of sugar so that when you add pectin, it won’t clump.)  Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

 

Chokecherry Sauce for Wild Fowl

2 c Chokecherry juice (See above for instructions to extract juice.)

1 c red currant juice

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground ginger

½ c red currant jelly

1 tsp arrowroot or 1 ½ tsp. cornstarch

Stir the arrowroot or cornstarch into the red currant juice until dissolved.  Combine the Chokecherry juice and spices in a pot.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Remove from the heat and stir in the currant juice with arrowroot.  Stir until thickened.  (If using cornstarch, leave the pot on the heat and stir until the sauce comes to a boil again.  When clear and thickened, remove from heat.)  Stir in the jelly.  Serve with pheasant, duck, grouse, or goose.

 

 

Chokecherry Syrup

6 c Chokecherry juice (Use 8 lbs. stemmed chokecherries and 5 c water.  See                                     above for instructions to extract juice.)

9 c sugar

1 tsp almond extract

Put 6 cups Chokecherry juice in a pot with the sugar and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.  Reduce the heat and simmer, under a lid, another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the extract.  Ladle the syrup into hot, sterilized jars, adjust the lids, and seal in boiling water bath for 7 minutes.

 

Chokecherry Whip

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1 c sugar

1 Tbsp unflavored gelatin

¼ c cold water

¼ c boiling water

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1 c Chokecherry juice (See above for instructions to extract juice.)

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 lg egg whites, beaten  stiff

whipping cream

Stir the lemon zest into the sugar.  Soak the gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes, then dissolve by adding the boiling water.  Stir in the sugar until dissolved.  Add lemon juice and Chokecherry juice.  Add vanilla.  Chill 15 minutes.  Fold in the beaten egg whites and chill thoroughly.   (You can spoon the mixture into a mold before chilling, if desired.)  Serve with softly whipped cream.

 

Chokecherry Sherbet

2 ½ c water

1 ½ c sugar

1 c Chokecherry juice (See above for instructions to extract juice.)

dash salt

1 lg egg white, beaten until soft peaks form

In a saucepan, combine the water and sugar and boil for 5 minutes.  Cool.  Add Chokecherry juice and salt.  Freeze in a container until the sherbet becomes mushy.  Add the beaten egg white and continue freezing until firm.

 

Wild Currant

(Ribes aureum, R. inebrians, R. pumilum, R. cereum)

-Also known as Squaw currant, bear currant, and wax currant.

The 3-8 foot shrubs are one of the first to show leaves in the spring.  Indians gathered and ate the young leaves with venison fat.  The leaves grow alternately in clusters on short lateral branches.  They are maple-shaped, veined, and with edges that have coarse teeth.  Young branches are slate gray, while older branches are somewhat roughened and nearly black in color.  Flowers are found on drooping stalks that come out from the stems at the bases of the leaf stalks.  Berries form in clusters and mature in mid-July through August.  All currants retain part of the flower at the tip of each fruit.

R. aureum shrubs produce bright-yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers, ¼ to ½ inch long, with a spicy fragrance.  The blossoms contain an abundance of nectar that some people enjoy eating the flowers off the bush.  The smooth, globe-shaped fruits are relatively large, up to ½ inch wide, and grow in clumps of up to 10 berries.  Their color can be red, yellow, orange, or black.

To make dried currants, the skin on the berries must be “checked”: if they are not cracked in some way, the fruit will not dry properly.  Blanch the berries briefly in boiling water, then put them on dehydrator trays.  The currants will be smaller and drier than raisins with a tart flavor.  Store them in the freezer or in an air-tight container.  (If you do not have a dehydrator, you can dry the currants in a gas oven with a pilot light, or in an electric oven on very low with the door cracked.  You can also dry them in a car that is parked in the sun with the windows cracked.  Or just dry them on baking sheets, up off the ground, in the sun.)

 

Wild Currant Jelly

wild currant juice (Use 4 lb. fresh wild currants and 1 cup water.  See instructions                                       under Chokecherries to extract juice.)

6 ½ c sugar

4 oz liquid pectin                                                                                                                                or ⅓ c powdered pectin and ⅓ c more water

Add the liquid pectin to the juice and bring to a boil over high heat.  Add the sugar and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  (For powdered pectin, stir the pectin into the sugar before adding to the boiling juice.)  Remove from heat and pour into sterilized jars.  Adjust lids and seal in boiling water bath for 7 minutes.

 

Dried Currant Almond Muffins

1 c buttermilk

2/3 c dried wild currants (See above for instructions on drying wild currants.)

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

⅛ tsp ground ginger

¼ c butter, cut into bits

1 ½ c all-purpose flour

⅔ c sugar

¼ c wheat bran

2 tsp baking powder

1 lg egg

½ c slivered almonds, toasted and chopped

1 tsp almond extract

Add currants, cinnamon, and ginger to buttermilk.  Heat over medium heat until milk is hot but not boiling.  Remove from heat.  Add butter and stir until butter is melted.  Put dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.   Beat egg into milk mixture.  Add almonds and extract.  Pour milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until all the flour is moistened.  Do not over-mix.  Spoon into b12 greased muffin tins.  Bake in preheated 350˚ oven for 20-25 minutes.

 

Wild Currant Cake

¾ c unsalted butter, softened

½ c sugar

¼ c honey

3 lg eggs, well beaten

2 c wild currants

1 c chopped walnuts or black walnuts

3 c sifted cake flour

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp baking powder

½ c wild currant juice (See instructions under Chokecherries to extract juice.)

Cream butter.  Add sugar and honey and beat until light and fluffy.  Beat the eggs well with a fork.  Add to butter mixture and beat in.  Add currants and nuts.  Sift dry ingredients together.  Add to batter alternately with the currant juice, beating well after each addition.

Grease and flour a 9 inch tube pan.  Line bottom with parchment paper.  Pour batter into pan and bake in preheated 300˚ oven for 1 ½ hours.  Cool 5 minutes.  Turn cake onto rack and peel off paper.  Cool completely.  Wrap and store in tightly covered container for 2 weeks before slicing.  Keeps 1 month refrigerated or 6 months frozen after being cut.

 

Filled Currant Cookies

Filling:

1 ½ c wild currant purée

2 Tbsp honey

Dough:

1 c (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 ½ c brown sugar

2 lg eggs, beaten

2 tsp vanilla

3 c all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

dash salt

To make purée, whirl stemmed fresh currants in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Add honey and mix well.  Set aside.  Cream butter and sugar.  Beat eggs with a fork.  Add eggs and vanilla to butter.  Sift together dry ingredients.  Add to butter mixture and blend well.  Chill 2-3 hours.

Roll out the dough.  Cut rounds with a cookie cutter.  Place ½ tsp. filling on half the dough rounds.  Top with other half of cookie rounds and seal the edges with the tines of a fork.  Bake at 350˚ for 12-15 minutes.

 

Spiced Wild Currants

3 qt ripe wild currants, washed and stemmed

1 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ c water

¼ c cider vinegar

5 c sugar

½ bottle liquid pectin or                                                                                                                       ¼ c powdered pectin and ¼ c water

In large saucepan, combine currants, spices, water and vinegar.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Lower heat and simmer, under a lid, for 10 minutes.  Add sugar and increase heat.  Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in the liquid pectin.  Stir for 5 minutes.  (If using powdered pectin, reserve a cup of sugar at the beginning.  Stir the pectin into this sugar and set aside.  After the first sugar is added and it has all come to a boil, add the remaining sugar with pectin so it can boil that last minute of hard boiling.)  Ladle into hot sterilized jars, filling to ¼ inch from the rim.  Seal in a boiling water bath for b7 minutes.  Eat the spiced currants with meat.

 

Glazed Squash with Currants

3 acorn squash, halved and seeded

¼ c (1/2 stick) butter

½ c pure maple syrup

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

⅓ c dried wild currants (See above for instructions on drying wild currants.)

Melt the butter.  With a brush, butter each squash half, and salt and pepper it.  Place the squash, cut side down, in a large baking pan.  Add enough water to reach 1/4 inch up the sides of the squash halves.  Bake at 400˚ for 35 minutes.  Add the syrup, nutmeg, and currants to the remaining butter.  heat over low heat until the currants have plumped.

Turn the squash over in the pan.  Remove any remaining water.  Brush syrup mixture over the squash inside cavities.  Return to oven and bake another 25-30 minutes, occasionally basting the squash cavities with the syrup mixture.

 

Wild Currant Pie

pastry for a 9-inch pie

1 ¾ lb fresh wild currants

1 c sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla

3 Tbsp arrowroot powder

Bake the pie crust at 350˚ until light brown, 12-15 minutes.  Stir the currants and the rest of the ingredients together.  Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer, stirring constantly, for 20 minutes.  Pour into the prepared pie crust.  Brush the edges of the crust with butter.  Bake another 20-35 minutes.  Serve with heavy cream.

 

Dried Wild Currant Pie

pastry for a two-crust 9-inch pie

1 ½ c dried wild currants (See above for instructions on drying wild currants.)

1 ½ c water

3 Tbsp flour

¾ c brown sugar

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp lemon zest

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground allspice

2 ½ Tbsp butter

Simmer the dried currants in the water for 5 minutes.  Mix together the flour, brown sugar, and spices.  Slowly stir in some of the hot currant water.  When well combined, add the rest of the water and currants, the lemon juice and zest, and the butter.  Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Cool to room temperature.  Spoon into pastry-lined pie pan.  Moisten the edges, then top with pastry.  Trim and crimp the edges.  Bake at 425˚ for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350˚ and bake 30 more minutes.

Elderberry

(Sambucus glauca, S. cerulean)

-Also known as elder, boretree, tree of music, sweet elder.

 

Elderberries are in the honeysuckle family.  Pioneers believed that elderberry bushes could not be struck by lightning, so they planted them near the house.  Elderberry plants were also considered to have spiritual powers, protecting those living in the house from sickness and evil spirits.  A twig was carried close to the body as a charm of good health and luck.

Some Indian tribes called the Elderberry “the tree of music.”  They made flutes from branches cut in the spring, then dried with the leaves left on.  The core of soft, white pith was removed and holes were bored with a hot stick.  The name Sambucus comes from the Greek sambuke, another instrument made from Elderberry wood.

Elderberry bushes reach 6-15 feet in height.  They prefer rich soils and are found growing along fence rows, roadsides, ravines, and streams.  In areas where the Elderberry grows in abundance, its habit of sending up numerous erect stems often form impenetrable, tangled thickets.  The young narrow stems have greenish bark covering wood that surrounds the soft white core.  In older stems, the bark becomes grayish-brown and the woody layer thickens.  As many a pioneer child knew, the hollowed stems make fine pea shooters.  Hunters have also bugled elk with whistles made from Elderberry stems.

The leaves are composed of 5 to 11 leaflets, oval, with sharp acute tips and serrated edges.  They are arranged in opposite pairs on the leaf stalks.  White flowers appear from May to July.  They grow in flat clusters, 4-7 inches in diameter, at the end of a stem.  These flat-topped clusters are made up of hundreds of small fragrant flowers shaped like five-pointed stars.  The flower clusters, called Elder Blow, are used to make a sweet-smelling wine or tea.  The individual flowers are also used in baked goods.  Pick the flowers when they are in full bloom and use the blossoms within 24 hours as they deteriorate quickly.

Early farmers considered the appearance of the first green immature berries a sign that it was time to sow their wheat.  The berries, which are ripe from late summer to early fall, grow in the same type of flat clusters as do the flowers.  As they ripen, they turn from green to a dark blue.  Each berry is about ¼ inch in diameter and contains 3 tiny seeds.  Elderberries are rich in calcium, iron, potassium, thiamine, niacin, and vitamins A and C.  The berries were made into wine and syrups by the pioneers and taken to prevent colds.

Elderberry fruit is best gathered in the autumn after the first frost since this is when their flavor is at its peak.  The berries are not good eaten raw – the flavor is brought out by cooking.  The musky taste compliments juices and preserves.  Gather the ripe berries on a dry day and separate them from the stems before extracting their juice.  The stems, if left, will give bitterness to the juice.

To extract the juice, place 1 quart water to each 6 quarts fruit in a large pot.  Simmer 10-15 minutes, mashing the berries as they cook.  Strain the juice through a clean pillow case suspended over a bowl.  Discard the solids after no more juice drips off.  The juice may be frozen or canned for later use.

 

Elderberry Blossom Juice

20 blossom clusters without stem

2 Tbsp Citric Acid (can be bought at pharmacy)

juice from 3 lemons

2 ½ c sugar

3 ¾ c brown sugar

1 qt boiling water

Place the blossom clusters, citric acid, lemon juice and sugars in a large bowl or pot.  Pour the boiling water on.  Stir briefly, then cover and set in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.  Sift, and then seal as other juices.  When serving, add water to taste and chill to drink.

 

Elderberry Blossom Fritters

Elder blossom clusters

1 ½ c all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

3 lg eggs

⅔ c orange juice

oil for deep frying

powdered sugar

Sift together the flour and baking powder.  Beat the eggs well and add to orange juice.  Stir the flour mixture into the orange juice mixture and blend well.  Holding stem, dip the flower clusters into batter and deep fry at 375˚ until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Dust with powdered sugar and serve at once.

 

Milk Punch with Elder Flowers

1 qt milk

8 clusters Elder flowers, snipped from stems

½ lemon, squeezed for juice, the rind grated for zest

3 Tbsp honey

ground nutmeg

In a saucepan, heat the milk to almost boiling.  Put the flower clusters, lemon juice, and zest in a large pitcher.  Pour hot milk over flowers.  Add the honey.  Stir, and set in the refrigerator to cool.  Strain and serve in glasses or cups.  Sprinkle with nutmeg.

 

Elderberry Sauce

1 ½ c Elderberry juice (See above for instructions to extract juice.)

1 c sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp lemon zest

2 ½ tsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp butter

Combine ingredients in saucepan, then cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and clear.  Serve over waffles, pancakes, or ice cream.

 

Hot Elderberry Juice

1 qt Elderberry juice (See above for instructions to extract juice.)

sugar, water

Add sugar and water to taste.  It should be a bit on the strong side, so don’t add too much water or it will taste watery when hot.  Drink on a cold, wintry morning or evening.

 

Spiced Elderberry Syrup

4-5 c Elderberry juice (See above for instructions to extract juice.)

5 c sugar

3 cinnamon sticks

1 ½ Tbsp whole cloves

Combine juice, sugar, and spices.  Simmer 15-25 minutes, stirring frequently, until desired thickness.  Strain syrup.  Bottle in attractive containers and cap nor cork.

 

Spiced Elderberries

5 qt stemmed Elderberries

2 ½ tsp ground cloves

2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ c apple juice

½ c cider vinegar

14 c sugar

6 oz bottle liquid pectin                                                                                                            or ½ c powdered pectin and ½ c water

In a saucepan, combine Elderberries with spices, juice, and vinegar.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  Lower heat and continue cooking, under a lid, 10 minutes.  Add sugar and mix well.  Bring to boiling again and boil hard 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in liquid pectin.  Stir for 5 minutes.  Ladle into hot sterilized jars, adjust lids, and seal in boiling water bath for 7 minutes.

(If using powdered pectin, add the water to berries at the beginning.  Add the powdered pectin to 1 cup of sugar and set aside.  When boiling hard for 2 minutes with rest of sugar, add the last sugar and pectin halfway through so it boils the last minute.)

 

Elderberry Tart

(also works with wild blueberries or huckleberries)

Crust

1 c flour

½ c butter

zest from 1 lemon

1 lg egg yolk

Filling

¾ c sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

juice from ½ lemon

3 c elderberry or other fruit

2 Tbsp butter

Mix crust ingredients with hands until creamy.  Roll into a ball and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.  Put dough on floured board and roll flat.  Place crust in pie plate.  Bake crust at 350˚ until slightly browned.

In bowl mix sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice.  Stir into the fruit.  Place the fruit mixture in the pie crust.  Dot with butter.  Bake another 30-40 minutes until crust is brown.  Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

 

Elderberry Angel Pie

4 lg egg whites

¼ tsp cream of tartar

1 c sugar

6 lg egg yolks

⅔ c sugar

dash salt

½ c Elderberry juice (See above for instructions to extract juice.)

1 ½ Tbsp lemon zest

1 c heavy cream

Heat a 9-inch pie plate slightly in 300˚ oven, then grease lightly with vegetable oil.  Beat whites until soft peaks form.  Add cream of tartar and beat until uniform bubbles begin to form.  Gradually add sugar and beat until mixture stands in soft peaks.  Spread evenly in prepared pie pan.  Set in preheated oven and bake 1 hour.  Turn off oven and leave door ajar until meringue shell is completely cool.

Beat egg yolks slightly in top of double boiler.  Add sugar, salt, Elderberry juice, and zest.  Place over slowly boiling water and cook and stir until thick.  Remove from heat and chill.  Whip cream until stiff.  Spread half of it on the shell.  Spread filling on the cream, then top with remaining cream.  (Or whip the filling into the cream and fill mixture into the pie shell.)  Chill pie overnight.

 

Elderberry Jelly

3 lb Elderberries, stemmed

¼ c lemon juice

4 c sugar

1 pkg powdered pectin

Place berries in saucepan and crush.  Heat slowly until juice begins to flow.  Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Place fruit in jelly bag or clean pillow case and squeeze out 3 cups juice.  Add lemon juice.  Mix pectin with one cup of the sugar and add to juices.  Bring to hard boil over high heat, stirring constantly.  Add rest sugar and boil hard 1 minute, still stirring.  Remove from heat and pour into sterilized jars.  Adjust lids and seal in boiling water bath for 7 minutes.

 

Hot Elderberry Soup

1 qt Elderberry juice (See above for instructions to extract juice.)

sugar, water  (Add sugar and water to taste.  It should be a bit on the strong side, so don’t add too much water or it will taste watery when hot.)

1 Tbsp cornstarch for every 2 cups juice

heavy cream for whipping

Stir the cornstarch into a bit of the cold juice to dissolve.  Set aside.  Bring sweetened juice to a boil on medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  Stir the cold juice and cornstarch into the boiling juice.  After the juice thickens and becomes clear, remove the soup from the heat.  Eat warm with a bit of whipped cream on top.

 

Elderberry Slump

2 c Elderberry juice (See above for instructions to extract juice.)

½ c sugar

1 c water

1 c all-purpose flour

2 ½ tsp baking npowder

½ c milk

Combine Elderberry juice, sugar, and water.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Mix together flour and baking powder, then quickly stir in the milk to make dumpling dough.  Drop dough by spoonfuls into boiling liquid, cover and simmer 10 minutes.  Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.