What Berries Are Edible in the Wild?
Summer is the best time to forage for wild berries. Knowing where to look, when to pick for ripeness, and what to look for are vital criteria for the successful wild berry forager. Most edible wild berries are consumable right off the plant, but a few require cooking. Because wild berries are full of minerals, vitamins and natural sugars, berry foraging is a healthy and fun pursuit. Does this Spark an idea?
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Rose Family
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Blackberries are ripe when they are black in color. The edible, wild berries in the Rosaceae -- the rose family -- include berries most people are familiar with such as blackberries, raspberries and wild strawberries. Lesser known members of the rose family are salmonberries, thimbleberries, serviceberry, wild roses, hawthorns, and chokecherries. Wild roses produce small red rose hips that are high in Vitamin C. Blackberries and raspberries are found in meadows and forest verges where they get plenty of sunlight.
Heath Family
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Blueberries are ready to eat when you pick them. The Ericaceae -- or heath family -- category of edible wild berries include blueberries, cranberries, and huckleberries. Pick berries on your walk in a meadow and take them home for fresh blueberry pancakes. Cranberries are one of only three fruits native to North America (along with blueberries and Concord grapes). They are full of seeds and are similar to the cranberries you buy in your supermarket. Huckleberries resemble blueberries but range in color from bright red to dark purple and taste distinctly different.
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Foraging
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Abandoned land is a prime place to find wild berries. Before you begin your search for wild berries that you can eat, be sure to do your homework. Many berries look alike, but you must be sure of your plant identification before you ingest the fruit. Find berries in naturally-occurring meadows, on the side of country roads, at the water's edge of a river or pond, in overgrown farming fields and in recently burned land. Berries grow in either sandy, barren areas or in marshes. Berries must have sunlight to grow and produce fruit.
Cautions
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Do not pick berries in recently sprayed fields. Be sure to avoid harvesting berries in areas that are recently sprayed with herbicide. One way to tell this is if other vegetation in the area is wilting or dying. Wait at least a year to try this contaminated spot again. Ensure the berries you pick are ripe by researching the appearance of a ripe berry.
Harvest Preparation
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Berry tarts are a delicious end to a meal. Some berries are ready to eat off the vine and most are high in vitamins and minerals. Blueberries and blackberries are a pleasing addition to pancake batter or to top a stack of French toast. Huckleberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries make delicious pies and tarts.
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References
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