Monthly Archives: September 2015

ORAC levels in Berries

Interesting article on the ORAC levels in Alaska berries.ORAC

History of the Blueberry Industry

A story on the history of wild blueberry cultivation and how it began in the pine barrens of New Jersey
Blueberry History

Pollinators and Exotic Weeds

Pollinators and Weeds

Interesting research about exotic weeds and pollinators of berries

Early and Groundbreaking work with Blueberries

Original reports on the ground breaking work done by botanist Frederick Coville on the cultivation of wild blueberries (early 1900s).   Surprisingly readable.

Experiments in Blueberry Culture, 1911 – discovery of soil needs of blueberries and implications for commercial production.
Blueberry research

Directions for Blueberry Culture, 1916  – Five years later. What has been learned. Notes work done at Whitebogs, NJ.
Blueberry culture

Antioxidants- how they work!

How Antioxidants actually work:

A brief description (with a little chemistry) of how antioxidants actually function in the body:

Antioxidants and how they work

Cooperative Extension Service: lots of berry info.

Many folks don’t realize that Cooperative Extension not only has a lot of publications about berries in their catalog, but that there is an easy reference page for them.Cooperative Extension

You don’t have to search through the catalog for each one, all the berry guides are collected on the “All About Berries” page! These publications have recipes, growing advice, and more.

Spiced Cranberry Sauce

Spiced Highbush Cranberry Sauce Many of my friends have varying relationships with the highbush cranberry. Some love the pungent odor that reminds them of fall’s approach while others find it positively rank. Some love the look of the berries on the shrub, sparkling like jewels and persistent even after snowfall, but don’t understand why I would waste my time picking something so bitter and seedy. My favorite way to convince people of the culinary merits of highbush cranberry is by serving them as a spiced sauce over grilled spruce grouse that we hunt with the help of our little black lab, Friday. Spiced Highbush Cranberry Sauce Yield: 4 cups
  • 6 cups of highbush cranberries
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 ½ cups onion,finely chopped
  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • ½ tablespoon cloves
  • ½ tablespoon allspice
  • ½ tablespoon celery salt
  • ½ tablespoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
Cook the cranberries in the water until soft and then put them through a foodmill or sieve to remove the large seeds. Add the onion, vinegar, sugar and spices to the de-seeded fruit. Boil until the mixture thickens and the proper consistency is reached. Let cool. If jarring, follow Extension guidelines for safe boiling water bath processing. Dinstel, R. 2013. Available online: http://www.uaf.edu/files/ces/publications-db/catalog/hec/FNH-00112.pdf. Accessed 20 Sept., 2015.

Figs and Cranberries

A friend of mine highly recommends this recipe, from numerous sources on the web. I got this one at http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-fig-cranberry-sauce-thanksgiving-recipes-from-the-kitchn-212747#recipe. It sounds great and I think I’ll try it. There are also versions with port instead of whiskey.

Fig Cranberry Sauce

Serves 8 to 10
  • 1/2 cup rye or bourbon whiskey
    1/2 cup water
    1/4 cup brown sugar
    2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    2 cinnamon sticks
    2 whole star anise
    1/2-inch piece ginger, unpeeled and sliced into 2 thick coins
    7 ounces (1 heaping cup) chopped dried figs, such as Mission
    12-ounce bag of cranberries, picked over and wrinkled cranberries discarded

Bring the whiskey, water, brown sugar, and vinegar to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan. Add the cinnamon, star anise, ginger, dried figs, and cranberries. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minute or until berries burst and the sauce thickens slightly. Cool for 15 minutes then transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Food Forest

Food Forest SeattleThe Beacon Food Forest is being planned out for Seattle. A permaculture experiment intended to provide food to the public.

Berry Health Benefits

Although baking and cooking with berries is a lot of fun and you can create tasty dishes, eating them raw gives more of those great health benefits!

Health Benefits of Berries

Finnish Blueberry Pie (oh my!)

Here is a recipe for a delicious Finnish Blueberry Pie! It is our traditional dessert. Easy to make!

Ingredients: Batter:

  • 200 grams of soft butter
  • 250 grams of sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 390 grams of plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder

Filling:

  • 300 grams of blueberries
  • 250 grams of sour cream
  • 40 grams of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar
  • 1 egg

First mix the butter and sugar together, you want to get a fluffy mixture. Then add the eggs. Add flour mixed with baking powder. Place the batter on a round cake pan (about 10 inches wide), also up to the sides.

Place the blueberries on top of the cake batter. Mix sour cream, sugar, egg and vanilla sugar, and spread the filling on top of the blueberries. Bake the pie for an hour in 350 degree oven.

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Russian Kisel

And one more traditional Russian recipe, kisel. Can be done using pretty much any kind of berries: Russian Berry Recipe

Recipes from Russia!

thought it might be interesting to add some Russian recipes to the blog: Russian Recipes

Rose Hip Butter!

Rose hips are best collected in the fall; some say after the first frost. I just collect them when they are ripe but still firm and not overly mushy.  You will need to remove the stem, blossom end, and seeds for this recipe. To do this I take off the outer parts and use a food mill to remove the seeds after cooking in just enough water to slightly cover the rose hips. I bring the hips to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes. After processing your hips in the food mill you have the puree for the recipe.

Ingredients: 5 Cups of rose hip puree

5 Cups of sugar

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon cloves and nutmeg

Sterilize the jars and prepare lids for canning. Combine all ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil until the mixture darkens and becomes thick. This can take an hour or more depending on the thickness you like. Poor into hot jars and leave 1/4- inch head space. Remove stray puree from jar rims with a damp cloth, then secure a lid to each jar with a band. Process jars for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.  Remove jars from the bath and leave undisturbed until the lids are sealed.  You should hear each jar “ping” as it seals, leaving the lid with a taut, slightly dished appearance.  Leave the jars undisturbed until fully cooled.

Fairbanks Interior Foragers

This group is for Fairbanks-area/Interior Alaska residents to share what they know

and get help with identifying, collecting, eating and preserving wild foods.Fairbanks Interior Foragers

Wildflower and Berry I.D.

This is my favorite go to web page for berry identification: Wildflower and Berry I.D.

Northern Berries and Land Management

“Our study is an example of how environmental managers and participants in local observer networks can report on the status of wild resources in rural Alaska. Their observations suggest that there have been changes in the productivity of some wild berries in the past decade, resulting in greater uncertainty among communities regarding the security of berry harvests. Monitoring and experimental studies are needed to determine how environmental change may affect berry abundance.”

Managing northern berries

Gooseberry Facts

Very interesting article on history and background of gooseberries.  Recipe included.

Gooseberry Facts

Gooseberries from Purdue

This is a great flyer from Purdue Univ. on gooseberries with some info on currants.  Caveat:  They do say “good for Indiana” but I”m sure some of the info is applicable up here.
Gooseberries- Purdue

Asian Markets for Berries from Finland

Asian Berry Markets