Page 168 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Saskatoon Berry, Amelanchier

alnifolia (ROSACEAE)

SASKATOON BERRY, Serviceberry or Juneberry is a
suckering deciduous shrub that usually grows to 10-25
ft. (3-7.6m) with a rounded crown. Saskatoons occur in
brewbooks, CC BY-SA 2.0
woods, swampy areas, open prairies, and along slopes.
FLOWER AND FRUIT: Before leaves appear, bowing
clusters of 5-15 white flowers emerge at the tips of the
branches. They are 0.75 inches (2cm) across with 5 nar-
row petals. Fruits are 0.25-0.4 inches (0.6-1cm) wide
with prominent calyces and 5 seeds within. They begin
red, ripening to deep purplish-blue with a waxy bloom Matt Lavin, CC-BY-SA-2.0
in June-September.
frigerate as quickly as possible to prevent spoiling.
LEAF: Lght-green leaves are alternate and oval-shaped
Eat or process them soon as they will continue to
with rounded tips. Their upper edges are finely toothed,
ripen, eventually turning mushy, after being picked.
and a fine grey fuzz often covers their undersides. Leaf
They dry and freeze well.
blades can range from 0.8-1.5 inches (2-4cm) long. In
SASKATOON BERRY CRISP: Ingredients: 4 cups
autumn, foliage turns red, burgundy and gold.
Saskatoon berries, 2 cups hazelnut granola, 2 tbsp.
EDIBLE PARTS: fruit
tapioca starch, 3 tbsp. lemon juice, ¼ cup honey, 1
KEY MEDICINAL USES: It’s a diaphoretic, febrifuge, tsp. almond extract, 1 tsp. cinnamon. Toss berries
and stomachic. Root bark has been used to aid digestion together with other ingredients. Pour mixture onto
and to medicate upset stomachs, worms, and diarrhea. a skillet and cook over medium heat until crispy.
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Pick berries as they rip- POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: Buckthorn, Rhamnus
en to dark purplish-blue, from June to September. Re- cathartica

Smooth Witherod, Viburnum
nudum (ADOXACEAE)

SMOOTH WITHEROD or Wild Raisin is a shrub that can
grow to 12 ft. (3.6m). Adult plants have smooth grey-
brown bark often marked by globular lenticels.
Brett Marshall, CC-BY-3.0
FLOWER AND FRUIT: Saucer-shaped white fragrant
flowers are borne in flat clusters between April and
June. Each flower has 4-5 petals and a diameter of 0.25
inches (0.6cm). Fruits appear in August-October, begin
pink and mature to dark blue. 0.3 inches (0.8cm) wide
different-colored berries will occur on the plant at the
same time. Rob Routledge, CC-BY-3.0 Plant Image Library, CC-BY-SA-2.0
LEAF: Dark green leaves are simple, opposite, and leath-
jams and pie fillings; can also be dried if you don’t
ery. They can range from 3-6 inches (8-15cm) long, with
mind gnawing around the large seed.
an oval or elliptical shape. Leaf edges, which are often
WITHEROD-TURMERIC LEMONADE: Ingredients: 2
wavy, may be smooth or slightly toothed.
quarts fully ripened witherod berries, 1 cup water, 3
EDIBLE PARTS: fruit
tbsp. each of grated ginger and turmeric, 1 cup lem-
KEY MEDICINAL USES: This plant has antispasmodic, on juice, cayenne pepper, maple syrup. Cook berries
diuretic, and diaphoretic properties. for 5-6 min., mashing them thoroughly. Add water,
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Berries are ready for ginger, turmeric, and let simmer for 5 min. Remove
picking once they turn dark blue. Fruits will last longer seeds and pulp by straining juice through 2 layers of
than blueberries in the fridge. Sweetest when picked cheesecloth. Add lemon juice, 3 pinches cayenne pep-
after a few freezes and thaws, these berries make good per, and sweeten with maple syrup.
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