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| wild huckleberries |
wild huckleberries
British Columbia is the blueberry and raspberry capital of Canada and is the second largest producer in the world after Michigan. No where are these sweet berries more appreciated than in BC. Blueberries and the mild, moist climate and acidic soil of the Fraser Valley delta are a natural choice and have been produced for over a 100 years. The 2009 harvest was 90 million pounds up from 2008. Demand has sharply increased as the health benefits are better known.
Blueberries top the list of antioxidants: they should be firm and plump with a silvery sheen called the bloom. Can be kept up to 10 days in the fridge and frozen up to a year.
Also home to British Columbia are a number of native wild berries.
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| when the fireweed blooms the huckleberries are ready to pick |
It is with thanks to the busy bumble bee that we have wild berries.
blueberry crisp with hazelnut streusel
Topping
1/2 c organic dark brown sugar
1/4 c organic flour
1/4 c lightly roasted hazelnut, skinned rub off
1/4 c organic butter
1/2 t cinnamon
Process in medium bowl of food processor pulsing and scraping sides to obtain a fine but crumb mixture.
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| wild huckleberries |
Filling
4 -5 c of frozen or fresh berries
1/3 c organic white sugar
1/4 c tapioca.
1/2 t cinnamon
2 T butter
Mix together the sugar and tapioca, add to berries, pour into buttered glass baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon and dot with butter. Cover topping and Bake.
Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes or until brown and the berries are bubbling.
go be delicious xx
23 comments:
Wow, I would really love to find some wild huckleberries and make this delicious crisp! The hazelnut streusel is perfect on top!
Dear Five Star Foodie,
Thank you for your comment... too bad we can't email taste, I guess this means you'll be on the look-out for some huckleberries.
Lee Ann.
What a great dessert! You are lucky to ba able to forage.
Dear Ed,
Yes, it is great to be in proximity of all that nature and I do believe that I'm fortunate to live where I live.
Here in the south we will be ready to pick our first blueberries in June. Your berry crisp is reminding me what a wonderful time of year , I have to look forward to soon.
P.S. I don't think I have ever eaten a huckleberry. No doubt it is delicious!
Dear Velva,
They taste potent and are darker in color and more flavorful than blueberries, which are the next best thing.
Huckleberries grow wild in many parts of North America and you can't see them for the trees as they are a prolific producer and thrive in old cut blocks and burns.
The bears never eat them all.
What beautiful berries - this looks fantastic, you are lucky to be able to forage!
beautiful! :) love berry picking too. last summer i picked loads of berries in my friend's garden and her mum turned it all into berry vodka and jam. Lush. thanks for visiting The Sugar Bar. about the donburi, it's not a soup. Donburi actually is a Japanese rice dish and the stuff that goes on top with the rice is sort of like a Chinese stir-fry with a very thick sauce. You could definitely use miso to flavour it I suppose or serve it as a soup to pair with the meal. That is normally how we would have it! :) Donburi and miso soup to go with. xx
How lucky you are to live in such a beautiful place. The Crisp looks so delish!
Pam
Dear Homemade meals from scratch,
Thank you for visiting my site.
I've enjoyed the conversation with you and find we have common interests in current food trends.
Lee Ann.
Dear Diva,
I'd enjoy having a look at the vodka recipe... and thank you for clarifying the donburi dish.
A friend who is from Japan explained it to me as well, and has promised to take me to her favorite place to try it, when she returns from Brazil.
Lee Ann.
Dear Gypsy Chef,
Yes, it is a pleasure picking and eating wild berries. The season is a long one, starting in the lower elevations in late June, progressing into the higher elevations over the summer and through to mid September in the sub-alpine.
Plenty of time to graze and harvest.
Lee Ann.
Wow what a treat!!I have not picked huckleberrys in a long time. This crisp looks deeeelicious!
Dear Fig Tree,
What area have you found huckleberries? Something primal about grazing from the forest, and it is sustainable, they produce better, as long as we leave some.
Lee Ann your blog is great. I am going to put it up on the blogroll at MyHungryTum. BTW I am in Vancouver frequently. i love it! Other than the current construction snarls which ought to disappear soon eh?
Cheers,
Eric from Myhungrytum.wordpress.com
I always find huckleberries tedious to pick but such a worthwhile reward. A big handful takes 10 minutes, but the memories of the mouthful lasts forever.
Recently, I traded my physical labour for a deep freezer. Will be filling it with the bounty of spring, for sure.
Thanks for your wisdom, Lee Ann!
~Cameal
I love love love your blog and that pie looks amazing! (Can I add your link to my fave blogs?)
My all time favorite Berry!!! This looks awesome!
Miranda,
What would our world be without these?
Berry well not.
Dear Camille,
Yes ... a freezer is sublime. In days past living in a cut block for the summer in my camper van, picking the mornings away, sweltering the afternoons in the van, canning the berries, making jam and ketchup are what dreams are made of.
Good wishes on your book. LA.
Dear Lesley,
You have my pleasure to do so. Cheers LA.
Dear Eric,
Thank you for adding me to your blog roll... such an adventure you have undertaken. All the best LA.
What a wonderful recipe! Where do you pick those beautiful huckleberries in Vancouver? I know there are salmon berries and blackberries growing near me in the Pacific Spirit Park (and pretty much anywhere), but I could not find any black huckleberries.
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