Antioxidants +

Posted on February 17, 2016 by | Leave a comment

A lot of research on berries over the past few years has emphasized their antioxidant potential. There is a lot more to berries than simply antioxidant activity, and this abstract hints that one of the most abundant flavonoids in Alaska berries especially lingonberries, does a lot more. Mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells. Respiration and energy production occur in these organelles. Quercetin apparently has a huge influence on activity in this part of the cell. Go lingonberries! Check out the entire article although you will have to find a library with free copies to this journal. A single article is expensive.

QUERCETIN

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Posted in Uncategorized

New book on Alaska Soil Analysis

Posted on February 17, 2016 by | Leave a comment

If you are interested in learning more about what all those numbers mean when you take a soil sample and get a bazillion numbers back that are pretty confusing, this book explains them all in great detail. Want to be a good grower? Then you must be good at managing soils.

Order form1Order form2

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Posted in Soils and Plant Nutrition

How to study plant roots!

Posted on December 28, 2015 by | 2 comments

This is an interesting article about excavating roots to show their growth. The plants are apples and raspberries. We have done root excavations at Hort UAF, and it is a pain in the backside! This excavation is extraordinary!  Root excavations

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Bumble bees are best for haskap pollination

Posted on December 26, 2015 by | Leave a comment

This research showed that bumble bees, Bombus terrestris were the most important pollinators of Lonicera cerulea, honey berry/haskap. Honey bees are good as a supplement but they don’t work in cold temperatures, and their efficiency is far less that the B.B.

2016.Frier et al.

 

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Posted in Honeyberry, Haskap (Loniera), Pollination, Pollinators

Alaska Butterflies

Posted on December 18, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Here is a link to a book just published on all Alaska butterflies. Senior author is the late Ken Philip, an amazing man who loved butterflies and tromping around the state looking for them.  He was a wonderful resource for all things butterflies. His collections now reside at the UAF museum and the Smithsonian.

Alaska Butterflies

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Posted in Pollination, Pollinators

Color and antioxidants in bot blueberry wine

Posted on December 8, 2015 by | Leave a comment

This is an interesting article from China that examines the changes in antioxidants of bog blueberry in winemaking as the wines age.

V. ulig wind

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Posted in Blueberries (Vaccinium), Health, Wine, Liqueur

Posted on December 8, 2015 by | Leave a comment

This research examines the polyphenol, anthocyanin and antioxidant capacity of 4 cultivars of honey berry extracts. The abstract and citation are included.

AbstHaskap antioxidantsract

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Posted in Health, Honeyberry, Haskap (Loniera)

Alaska-Yukon Circumboreal Region Map

Posted on December 8, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Here is a great document with outstanding photos of a mapping project for the vegetation of the Alaska-Yukon Region by Fairbanks researcher, Torre Jorgensen and others. It is an attempt to refine vegetation classification systems using the latest technology.

Jorgensen, T. and D. Meidinger. 2015. The Alaska Yukon Region of the Circumboreal Vegetation map (CBVM). CAFF Strategies Series Report. Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna, Akureyri, Iceland. ISBN: 978-

9935-431-48-6

Circumboreal Map

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Posted in Berry Harvesting, Foraging, Wild harvesting

Processing and phenolic compounds in honey berry

Posted on December 8, 2015 by | Leave a comment

The aim of the study was to evaluate different methods used for the preparation of powders from blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L. var. kamtschatica) cv. ‘Wojtek’, and the effects of these methods on chemical composition and antioxidant activity of lyophilized powders and pomace. The analyzed samples were evaluated for their basic chemical composition (dry weight, pH, total acidity, sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose), and antioxidant capacity (FRAP, ABTS). Polyphenolic compounds were identified and quantified by UPLC-PDA-MS/MS. Thirty eight polyphenolic compounds, including eight phenolic acids, eight anthocyanins, five flavan-3-ols, twelve flavonols and five flavones were identified in blue honeysuckle products. The highest content of bioactive compounds was detected in juice pressed from peels, as compared with fresh berries and other products. Moreover, crushed berries were found to be a better material for obtaining dried product than intact fruit. Jan Oszmiański, Aneta Wojdyło, , and Sabina Lachowicz. 2015. LWT- Food Science and Technology. 2015. Effect of dried powder preparation process on polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity of blue honeysuckle fruits (Lonicera caerulea L. var. kamtschatica) Available Online: Abstract

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Posted in Health, Honeyberry, Haskap (Loniera), Uncategorized

Anybody for a pi pie?

Posted on November 30, 2015 by | Leave a comment

This certainly would be a fun way to serve berry pie! Pi Pie

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Posted in Uncategorized

Berry Cultivation In Norway

Posted on November 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

This is a short presentation from http://www.bioforsk.no that shows some interesting berry research with cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) , crowberry (Empetrum nigrum),  and lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea)  Berry Cultivation Norway

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Posted in Uncategorized

Watermelon berries

Posted on November 14, 2015 by | Comments Off on Watermelon berries

Watermelon berries (Streptopus amplexifolius) are delicious and juicy, with a mild flavor. The stalk of the plant can also be eaten and has a flavor similar to cucumber. Although it has been a traditional food in its native range, I am not aware that it has ever been commercially harvested. It may be due to its preference for shady, wetter areas, or possibly because it is difficult to grow from seed.

This plant is known to grow across the circumpolar north. In Alaska it is more abundant south of the Alaska range, but I have observed it at Manley Hot Springs and have heard that it survives transplant into Fairbanks gardens.

There is a publication from UAF Cooperative Extension Service that describes how to identify and utilize the plant. Learn more about how to propagate watermelon berries at this site.

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Posted in Watermelon Berry (Streptopus amplexifolius)

Bog cranberry

Posted on November 14, 2015 by | Comments Off on Bog cranberry

Wandering through sphagnum bogs during the fall in Alaska you can often find bog cranberries (Vaccinium oxycoccos). Although the berries are typically not abundant, they are a tasty treat and wonderful addition to a berry mix. The berries are not commercially utilized in the US, but are a commodity in Russia.

Learn more about bog cranberries at this site from the USFS.

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Posted in Bog Cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos)

Sea buckthorn – it grows here!

Posted on November 14, 2015 by | Comments Off on Sea buckthorn – it grows here!

Sea buckthorn is a plant that is being talked about more and more in Alaska. Native to northern latitudes of Europe and Asia, it would seem this plant would be well-suited to Alaska. Canadian researchers are already looking into developing sea buckthorn as a crop, as they have for saskatoon serviceberries and honeyberries.

Alaskans are making progress on this plant too! Papa M. is growing sea buckthorn in North Pole, AK. He has some older shrubs that are over 10 feet tall and produce gallons of gorgeous orange berries. Papa sells sexed seedlings (which is extremely important for dioecious species such as sea buckthorn) from productive lines every summer at the Tanana Valley Farmers Market or direct from his farm.

Learn more about how to grow the plants here:

Sea buckthorn Special Crops Factsheet

Sea buckthorn Production Guide

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Posted in Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae)

Juniper for Gin

Posted on November 14, 2015 by | Comments Off on Juniper for Gin

Juniper “berries” are one of the main botanicals that give gin its distinctive flavor. The berries of juniper are actually cones that have modified scales giving it a smooth, berry-like appearance. There are many types of juniper, but common juniper (Juniperus communis) is the species most often used for flavoring gin. Have you ever wondered how your favorite gin companies harvest juniper? According to this site, the best juniper is still harvested from wild trees. There is a short video in the middle of the page that shows harvesters in action.

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Posted in Juniper (Juniperus), Recipes

Elderberry Syrup

Posted on November 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Elderberry syrup Today I was lucky enough to take a workshop at the Eagle River Nature Center presented by Chief Naturalist Ute Olsson.  She covered a lot of ground.  The ERNC calendar is here with a brief description of the workshop: Workshop announcement.  In the workshop we made elderberry syrup.   Elderberries are highly regarding for their nutraceutical properties.  The workshop presented a recipe found on Wellness Mamas website which can be found here: Elderberry Syrup.  The dried elderberries we used were actually quite tasty on their own and had a chocolate hint to them.

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Posted in Elderberry (Sambucus)

Highbush Cranberry Bark as medicine

Posted on November 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Highbush cranberry bark Highbush cranberry has traditional uses beyond foods created from its berries.  The bark is also used for medicinal purposes.  The Alaska Native Knowledge Network has an entry from Eleanor Viereck’s book here http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/curriculum/Books/Viereck/viereckhighbush.html. Audrey Sunnyboy’s book Denyaavee, recommends using one teaspoon of dried bark or one tablespoon of fresh bark per one cup of boiling water to make a tea.   To harvest the bark, simply use a vegetable pealer and shave off some bark.   Viereck, E. 1987. Alaska’s wilderness medicines: Healthful plants of the far north. Alaska Northwest Books. Anchorage, AK. Sunnyboy, A. 2007. Denyaavee. Medicine plants of interior Alaska’s People.

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Posted in Health, Highbush cranberry (Viburnum)

Exploding Flowers of the Bunchberry – world’s fastest flower

Posted on November 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Explosive Flowering of the Bunch Berry

NPR’s All Things Considered covers the discovery of the Bunch Berry as the worlds fastest flower. The audio recording on NPR’s website (link below) includes an interview with the student, Sarah Klionsky, who made the initial discovery and her Biology professor, Joan Edwards, who facilitated the subsequent research. The story drives home how important discoveries can still be made of what is often overlooked.   Exploding Bunchberries. More about the research that was done and how it was performed is available on Williams College website:  Student Research

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Posted in Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), Pollination, Pollinators

Naming of the Juneberry. Or is it Saskatoon?

Posted on November 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

What’s in a name? Saskatoon vs. Juneberry

This article from Time magazine examines the significance placed on what the Saskatoon berry is called when it comes to introducing it to the US market. Canadians cry foul at the efforts to re-brand Saskatoons as Juneberries especially considering that the cultivars generating the excitement in the US were developed in Canada. With billions of dollars potentially at stake, the controversy will, however, likely continue. I agree with the Michigan grower quoted in the article. Saskatoon is a much sexier name than Juneberry and gets my vote.  What’s in a Name?

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Posted in Berry Identification, Saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia

Origin of Haskaps

Posted on November 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

This article is a succinct history of the haskap from Japan, Russia and Canada with dates.  Seems as though Alaska had some a little earlier than what is published here.  Haskap

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Posted in Berry Identification, Honeyberry, Haskap (Loniera)