Author Archives: Hortalaska Berries

For after a long day of berry picking in the fall and you just need to sit back and relax while enjoying your labors.

Wild Berry Mojito

8 to 12 fresh mint leaves

3 to 4 fresh blackberries

3 to 4 fresh blueberries

3 to 4 fresh red raspberries

1/8 cup lime juice

2 to 4 tsp. of sugar

1-12 oz. glass of crushed ice

2 oz. light rum

1/4 cup soda water

1 fresh mint sprig (for garnish)

Directions:

Carefully press mint leaves into the bottom of the glass with the back of a wooden spoon to release their oils (do not tear leaves).

Mix mint, crushed wild berries, lime juice and sugar in a 12-ounce glass.

Fill glass with crushed ice.

Stir well until the ice is reduced by 1/3 and then top with more crushed ice, stirring until the glass begins to frost on the outside.

Pour in soda water and rum, stir again. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

Recipe provided by Stacy McGuigan of Everyday Celebrations,www.ecpartyconcierge.com. Stacy is CEO of Everyday Celebrations, a local event planning business.

I found this gem on Amazon through a used book seller. It is an older book (original date of publication is 1982, but it was reprinted in 1990). It has a nice variety of color photos of Alaska berries and then the rest of the book is a cookbook that goes beyond the traditional use of berries as a dessert. They have meat dishes with berries, beverages, baked goods, and of course desserts. It has sections at the end about drying and freezing berries. There is no author listed on this book, but it is published by Alaska Northwest Publishing.

Inspired by whoever posted the wine recipe last week, here is a mead recipe.  Being a homebrewer, this recipe excited me.  I would try and use some local fireweed honey, and adjust berry proportions according to what I had picked.  It’s quite a large amount of berries, and may take me quite awhile to save that much… but it makes a lot of mead with a high alcohol content.  Having friends chip in with the berries and sharing the mead co-op style is the way to go 😉  First link is a recipe, the second is a video on the mead. The recipe. 

Link to a video