Serviceberry, saskatoon processing and recipes

Posted on October 29, 2015 by | Leave a comment

A quick introduction to the Serviceberry from the UAF Cooperative extension.  Includes storage, preservation and recipes.   Serviceberry

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Posted in Recipes, Saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia

Attracting wildlife with berries

Posted on October 29, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Give a Bird a Berry

This National Wildlife Federation site describes the importance of berry bearing trees and shrubs as a food source for birds and other wildlife and encourages people to consider adding them to their gardens to feed the birds.  Why not add a bush or two for our feathered friends.   Berries and Birds

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Posted in Wildlife

Story Book on Berry Picking

Posted on October 27, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Here is something new.  A berry picking story book.  Wild Berries by Julie Flett and Earl N. Cook as translator.

ISBN: 978-1897476895

Wild Berries 

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Posted in Uncategorized

Question about pollinators in greenhouses

Posted on October 27, 2015 by | Leave a comment

When I was writing about the possible option of greenhouse for growing strawberries in this week assignment, I was wondering what do people do about pollinators for the greenhouses? Do you always have to have a beehive for greenhouse if your plants are not selfpollinated? Could you just open sides of it (somehow) and will it be enough for pollinators to fly in, especially here in Alaska? Could you somehow attract pollinators to get in greenhouse? I saw somw ideas of electrical pollinators, but it looks like a lot of work for any decent size greenhouse….

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Posted in Uncategorized

Raisins, Juniper berries and rheumatoid arthritis?

Posted on October 27, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Gin-soaked raisins for rheumatoid arthritis?

My mother has RA, and her doctor told her that one folklore remedy is to soak raisins in gin, and eat 9 raisins every day.  While I’m all for enjoying the occasional drink with or without dried fruit, this seemed a bit funny to me, and I have done a little bit of surfing for more info.  Juniper berries used to flavor quality gin ARE known for their anti-inflammatory properties.  Raisins (yellow raisins specifically) are treated with sulfur dioxide to keep their color, and sulfur may have anti-inflammatory effects.  Plus raisins, like many fruits, have anti-oxidant properties.

Pro:  The People’s Pharmacy People’s Pharmacy

Con:  Snopes.com Snopes Review

In the Middle:Alternative Daily

Verdict?  If you like raisins, and you like gin, it probably won’t hurt you and maaaaybe it will help.  Don’t like raisins or gin, or don’t drink alcohol?  Skip it!

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Posted in Health, Juniper (Juniperus)

Cloudberry flowers

Posted on October 27, 2015 by | Leave a comment

This is a link to a comparative investigation of flower bud development in Male Female and Hermaphroditic cloudberry plants. Cloudberry Flower Development

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Posted in Cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus)

Finnish Lingonberry Dessert: Vispipuuro

Posted on October 27, 2015 by | Leave a comment

I decided to share another recipe! Here’s a dessert made from whipped semolina pudding and lingonberries, or vispipuuro. This is one of the finnish traditional desserts, something my mom cooks often, so it really reminds me of my childhood.

Ingredients for vispipuuro:

3 cups of water

1.7 cups of lingonberries (red currants are also a great choice)

0.2 cups of sugar

1/4 teaspoon of salt

0.5 cups of semolina

Put the water and the berries to a pot and bring to boil for 5-15 minutes. Add sugar and salt. Add the semolina while stirring and cook it for 5-10 minutes, stir a little. Then let it cool down. Use a mixer to whip it till it is nice and fluffy, pink pudding. Serve with cold milk. Enjoy! S. Heikkinen.

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Posted in Lingonberry, Lowbush cranberry, (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), Recipes

Blueberry in sign language

Posted on October 27, 2015 by | Leave a comment

The other class I am taking is an American Sign Language class, so I thought it would be fun to show a video of the sign for “blueberry.” Enjoy.

Signing Blueberry

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Posted in Blueberries (Vaccinium)

Juneberries (saskatoons)

Posted on October 27, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Here is an interesting link to June berry/ service berry growing. It has a long video that is pretty interesting too.

Juneberries

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Posted in Saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia

High Tunnel Raspberry and Blackberry Production

Posted on October 27, 2015 by | Leave a comment

High Tunnel Raspberries and Blackberries Manual, from Penn State Extension: High Tunnels

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Posted in Greenhouse Cultivation, High Tunnels, Raspberries (Rubus idaeus)

Fermented fruits and wildlife

Posted on October 27, 2015 by | Leave a comment

This article from National Geographic examines anecdotal reports of birds getting drunk on fermented berries. Links to climate change are suggested. If you come across a bird that appears drunk, but is not otherwise injured, put it in a cardboard box that has airholes and give the bird a few hours to sober up before releasing it. Birds

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Posted in Wildlife

Haskap Advice from Dr. Bors

Posted on October 27, 2015 by | Leave a comment

This is a presentation that was done by Dr. Bob Bors from the University of Saskachewan.  Looks like it was an international presentation for crop week.  Lots of good information.  Goes alongside the earlier link in haskap category done by Bors.  Presentation link.

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Posted in Honeyberry, Haskap (Loniera)

River Crab Apple, Malus fusca, Pyrus rivularis

Posted on October 27, 2015 by | Comments Off on River Crab Apple, Malus fusca, Pyrus rivularis

I was intrigued after reading the annual reports from the Alaska Agricultural Experiment Stations in the early 1900s about the referenced native wild Alaska crabapple, Pyrus rivularis (Malus fusca). Although it is not a berry in the strict sense of the word, it is a fruiting plant native to Alaska, which I think warrants mention on this blog. I had not heard of this plant previously so I did some searching on the internet. The accepted name of the river crab apple (or Oregon crab apple) now appears to be Malus fusca.

According to Silva of North America, this tree grows south of the Aleutian Islands and along the coast of Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. The small fruits are yellow to red in color and were historically used by native Americans.

A more elegant description of the tree is in North American Sylva, where the fruit is described as “small and purple, scarcely the size of a cherry, of an agreeable flavor.”

According to Food Plants of the North American Indians, the fruits were “eaten raw or boiled, or put away in oil for winter use.”

I wonder how the plant is currently being used in Alaska after a seemingly bright future as a potentially hybrid parent line or rootstock?

Learn more about the plant in the USDA PLANTS database

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Posted in Malus (Malus fusca)

Halloween “blood”

Posted on October 27, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Halloween berry recipe The internet is full of recipes for edible fake blood for Halloween.  Here is an example.  Fake blood  Most involve some type of thickener like corn starch, a dye – like berry juice, berry jam, or food coloring.  Some use blackberries and some use strawberries.  It does seem like most red berries might not be dark enough on their own.  A mix with a small amount of blueberry juice, may just work.  The end result can be used as blood for costumes and decorations for cake.

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Posted in Recipes

Haskap antioxidants

Posted on October 27, 2015 by | Leave a comment

A great paper published in June of this year on the anti-inflammatory potential of Lonicera caerulea (haskap).  It specifically mentions the Borealis cultivar, as having the highest polyphenolis content. I will definitely be attempting to grow some on my property in the near future! Haskap antioxidants

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Posted in Health, Honeyberry, Haskap (Loniera)

Migrant berry pickers in Scandinavia

Posted on October 27, 2015 by | Comments Off on Migrant berry pickers in Scandinavia

This article from NPR brought up several interesting issues surrounding berry harvest, including migrant workers, domestication of wild plants, and changes in worldwide demand for healthy fruits.

It seems that wild berries in Alaska are harvested more for subsistence than commercial ventures, but that isn’t quite so in scandinavian countries. Apparently the demand for wild berry products, both fresh and processed, is fueling more harvest and the labor is being filled with many migrant workers.

What are factors that have made berry products such an important commercial industry in Scandinavia? I would think that investment in infrastructure would be a major factor, supported by nearby markets that have a high demand for healthy wild berries. Everyman’s Right likely plays a role too.

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is one species that is highly sought after in scandinavian countries, and increasingly asian countries, with seemingly good reason. It is high in antioxidants, with an ORAC score of 706 (Brunswick Laboratories) for dried fruit. For comparison, our native blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum) has a score of 420. A higher score denotes higher potential antioxidant activity.

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Posted in Berry Harvesting

Crowberries in smoothies?

Posted on October 27, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Crowberry Each year I while picking berries I come across tons of crowberries.  I’ve never picked more than a handful purposefully.  Sometimes they get mixed in with my blueberries.  I’ve often thought about coming back and picking them at a later time.  It looks like there would be lots of good reasons to go back.  This website based in Finland has an informative section on crowberries.  Crowberries They contain some of the same compounds as cranberries that people take for urinary tract health and heart disease.   While I don’t think I’d want to use crowberries in jams or pies on their own, their health benefits and abundance seemingly everywhere in Alaska may make them a useful addition to breakfast smoothies and yogurt.

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Posted in Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum)

Removing Stems from Berries

Posted on October 19, 2015 by | Leave a comment

I really liked the way of getting red currants of the stems in this week’s video.  De-stemming Red Currants.  That’s definitely one of the things I don’t like to do when dealing with red currants. I’m wondering is there any other tricks for other berries that I don’t know about? For cleaning gooseberries?

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Posted in Berry Harvesting

Currant harvester

Posted on October 19, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Talk about Currant Harvester: My mouth was watering throughout the currant section so I thought I’d investigate the possibility of a currant harvester.  This one I found looks A LOT like it was designed as an Alaskan Machine.:)  Currant Harvester

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Posted in Currants (Ribes)

Black Currant Liqueur

Posted on October 19, 2015 by | Leave a comment

How to make your own Creme de Cassis, Black Currant Liqueur.  First off, I love the name of this blog (Use Real Butter), and this is a great step-by-step way to make a fruit liqueur with berries and vodka.  (And off topic, check out how to make your own Vanilla Extract.)  Currant Liqueur

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Posted in Currants (Ribes), Wine, Liqueur