My stomach is the one that reach you today ’s C. W. Post . When I was in the Florida Everglades or Florida ’s timber before moving to the Pacific Northwest three year ago , I rottenly miss having my well - hone knowledge and skills of natural foraging available to me . I ’ve learned a lot over the last three years ( and I ’m still learning ) , but not quite enough to put a price on a lifetime spent in a semitropic realm . I ’ve discovered a few favorites that I see frequently , and the one I ’m going to secernate you about today is the famed baked-apple berry , which is quite abundant everywhere , specially in the woods across the street from my house .
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Salmonberry Blossom, Olympia, Washington
The dwarf mulberry ( Rubus spectabilis ) , along with other fruits that share a syndicate with it , including blackberry bush , raspberry bush , blackcap , loganberries , boysenberries , etc . , belong to to the rose genus . Each of them has five petal , and they all bear beautiful orange berries that are really drupelets with seed inside each one . When fruit is ripe , it can diverge greatly in color , and this variance seems to be more influenced by the specific plant than by the environment or the time of year . It ’s common for them to be shiny orange , but I ’ve also determine some that were brilliant ruby ( and tasty ! ) or even a few that were dark purple .
Snoqualmie Pass, Washington’s Salmonberry Bloom, at 3000 feet in the Cascade Mountains
The very vernacular salmonberry is a rather “ viney ” bush that is native to Washington , Oregon , Northern California , sure areas of Idaho , British Columbia , and portions of Alaska . It is found in damp to wet woods from ocean degree to quite gamey elevations in the West Coast mountains . Even at the very top of Snoqualmie Pass , amid alpine lake , in the Cascade Mountains of Washington , and not far from Puget Sound , I ’ve seen them flourish and flower in great profuseness . The majority of the time ( but not always ) , you’re able to find them growing next to creeks and streams with restrained sunlight and shelter by big conifers like Douglas firs , westerly cherry-red cedars , and western hemlocks . One of the first Pacific Northwest woodland flowers , they will bloom in a profusion of brilliant pink to Battle of Magenta blossoms in early spring , tight maturing by late spring and other summer . They will grow up to 6–8 feet tall in these rich , moist soils , and occasionally up to 12 feet . They can be name by their sparsely thorny , woody , weak halt when they are not in blossom or hold yield . By late autumn and into winter , thestems will turn brownand become even more flimsy .
Pollinated Salmonberry
Salmonberries are essential for many of the inhabitants of their various environments ( as soon as the petals fall , the droplets jump to grow and take on the appearance of what we know as the salmonberry ) .
Deer , elk , moose , mountain goats , rabbits , porcupines , and even dress hat consume the leaves and young unripe shoots , while a wide range of birds , Fox , coyote , squirrel , bear , chipmunks , pikas , raccoon , and a horde of other woodland creatures bask the fruits . For their own survival , hummingbirds , bee , and other insects depend on these early springiness origin of nectar ( sugar Calorie ) .
Salmonberries at full ripeness!
( common aboriginal wild people of colour )
The Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest used this abundant crop for the fresh berries they bring home the bacon as crude fruit , unify with oolichan grease ( the fat from the candlefish , a local Pisces the Fishes related to smelt ) , Salmon River spawn , or just eaten with fresh Salmon River ruffle with hard roe , as their ripeness coincided with the spawning of the Chinook Salmon River , who were historically important for humans . The leave were consumed bleak or boiled , and the tender shoots were scrape and eaten for their sugary deliciousness .
Some salmonberries might even be purple or bright red in color.
Did you realize that the thimbleberry we are familiar with is actually a collection of drupelet ? exchangeable to other bramble berries like raspberries and blackberry , these are clump of short berries , each holding a seed , that get from a single blossom .
Recipe: Salmonberry Jam
Ingredients :
Instructions :
Recipe: Salmonberry Galette
Recipe: Salmonberry Vinaigrette Salad
FAQs About Salmonberries:
Are salmonberries safe to eat?
Can I cultivate salmonberries in my garden?
What other berries are similar in taste to salmonberries?
Do salmonberries have any symbolic meaning in Indigenous cultures?
Are there any toxic lookalikes for salmonberries?
Final Thoughts
In the marrow of the Pacific Northwest , the unassuming cloudberry emerges as a symbolisation of the region ’s diverse ecosystems and productive cultural heritage . Its vibrant colors , classifiable smack , and culinary versatility make it a treasure waiting to be discovered . Whether savour in jams , pastry , salads , or beverages , the salmon berry ’s presence is a reminder of the beauty and interconnection of nature .
