Edible Gardening: Foraging the Wild for the Perfect Berry

When I was a child, late summer meant long days foraging for chokecherries in the hills of Utah with my mother and my siblings. We rambled over rocks and through brush in search of the chokecherry bushes that grew along streams and ponds. We filled our buckets with the fruit, staining our fingers.

As soon as we got home, my mother brewed those chokecherries down to their acerbic essence, from which she made chokecherry pancake syrup --- gloriously thick, with a deep mahogany hue. We used that syrup throughout the winter to soak piles of hot pancakes, waffles and French toast.

Imagine my surprise when years later, as an adult, I discovered chokecherries growing near the stream behind my suburban home. Childhood revisited! I spent several days picking chokecherries and canning syrup. I began paying more attention to the natural environment when I was out on walks through my neighborhood, and even discovered wild raspberries.

It's unlikely that a confirmed city-dweller will find chokecherries growing in the middle of a downtown area, but wild berries do grow almost anywhere there is a water source and undeveloped land. Whether you live in the backwoods or a suburban neighborhood, discover for yourself the joy of berry picking.

Where to Look

Chokecherries grow throughout North America, and although they are considered a wetland plant, they are often found in abandoned fields or at a forest's edge. Other berries vary in their specific needs for water, but almost all wild berries need full sun to grow well and produce fruit. Contact a local extension office for information on the berries that grow wild in your area. Wild blackberries, for example, grow throughout the Northwest and some parts of the South, but are unlikely in the Rocky Mountain area.

Look for wild berries in urban forests and preserves, especially those that have a stream running through them. Berries are most likely to spring up in cleared land that has been left untended. They do not grow well under the dense canopy of a mature forest. Look along roadsides and at the edges of meadows. Chokecherries grow along the High Line Canal in Denver --- an urban trail that runs through the city. "Berries will grow in any green space where other bushes grow," said Seattle naturalist Stewart Wechsler.

Take a cell phone, sunscreen and a water bottle, and wear sturdy walking shoes. Loop a rope through the handle of a 1-gallon bucket and secure the rope around your waist: You'll pick berries more quickly if both hands are free. Take a larger container into which you may transfer the berries as you fill the gallon bucket.

Don't take every berry you see. Leave some for fellow foragers, as well as for birds and wildlife. And be a good steward of the land. "When I'm out foraging, I try to do something to help the native ecosystem," says Wechsler. "If I see invasive plant species encroaching on native species, I pull them." Minimize the evidence of your presence: Stay on trails whenever possible and leave no trash behind.

Mom's Chokecherry Pancake Syrup

1 gallon chokecherries

2 tbsp. powdered pectin

3 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. almond extract

After you've washed and sorted the chokecherries, simmer them for several hours with just enough water to almost cover them. Use a strainer or cheesecloth to capture the chokecherry juice. One gallon of chokecherries yields approximately 1 quart of juice.

Mix the pectin and chokecherry juice in a heavy kettle and bring it to a simmer, stirring constantly. Once the juice thickens, add 2 to 3 cups of sugar, depending on how sweet you want it, and boil for one to three minutes until the sugar dissolves.

Remove the kettle from the stove and stir in 1/2 tsp. almond extract. Refrigerate the chokecherry syrup or can it for later use. Serve the syrup with pancakes, French toast or waffles.

Safe Foraging

Not all berries are safe for human consumption. Buy a reliable field guide and take an experienced berry picker with you to positively identify berries. Never eat anything you cannot identify.

All types of aggregate berries --- those made up of small clusters of fruit --- are safe to eat. These include wild blackberries, raspberries, dewberries and salmonberries. Wild strawberries are also safe to eat. Several poisonous berries, however, may resemble edible, round berries such as blueberries, huckleberries, chokecherries and elderberries.

When identifying berry plants, look at the leaves, flowers and plant form, as well as the berries themselves. Pokeberries, which are poisonous to humans, resemble huckleberries and wild blueberries, but they are glossy and lack the characteristic "X" at the blossom end of the fruit. Common buckthorn, the berries of which are known to produce a violent purgative effect, resemble chokecherry, but the trees have thorns and the fruit contains several seeds, rather than just one small pit.

Avoid berries that grow on vines until you've gained some experience. Most berries born of vines are poisonous. American bittersweet, also known as nightshade, yields round, orange berries that are toxic. Poison ivy produces hard, white berries. All parts of the plant are poisonous and will produce a nasty rash if touched.

Even berries that are technically safe for consumption may cause an allergic reaction. Raw elderberries, for example, may cause diarrhea. If you're concerned about potential allergies, consult a physician, who can refer you to an allergist for testing.

Pick no berries from plants that might have been sprayed with pesticides. Berry plants growing along roads are often contaminated with chemicals. Look for the tell-tale signs of herbicide application: stunted growth, with browned, curled leaves and new growth nearby.

How to Use Wild Berries

How you use berries depends mostly on the berry type. Some berries, such as salmonberries and thimbleberries, are so perishable that they are best eaten on the spot. Other aggregate berries will keep for a day or two under refrigeration. Huckleberries or wild blueberries may be eaten fresh or made into pies, jams and preserves.

Pick chokecherries and elderberries only after they have ripened from red to purple, depending on the variety. Simmer these tart berries to release their juices, and make them into fruit leather, pancake syrup or jelly.

Wash wild berries gently before using them, and sort through your pail to remove any twigs, leaves or insects.