Fight disease and look great the delicious,
natural way! Get your berry
pail and go off in search of "berried" treasure...
Berries give you an "ace" in health,
as in plenty of vitamin A, C, and E,
which are "the berries" in health benefits. If
you live in, or plan to
visit, the country, get your berry pail, your straw hat,
your sunscreen (you
need it even in the woods), and go off in search of 'berried'
treasure.
We've collected some tips to make your berry picking trips
more fruitful.
BEFORE YOU START: "Be"-ware
- Be kind to the bushes and to other pickers. Don't
over pick, and don't
damage roots or blossoms.
- Don't be tempted to pick berries that aren't fully
ripe. They won't taste
good and if you leave them there, someone else may come
along in a few days and enjoy them at their peak.
- Be courteous if you're on someone's property--ask
permission to pick.
- Be on the lookout for bears, birds, and other animals
who feed on berries.
- Being sensitive to fellow creatures is common sense.
That way, your
berry-picking won't be disturbed.
- Be sure to leave fruits and berries for birds, insects,
and small animals.
BERRY PICKING:
- Look for ripe blackberries, typically purplish-black,
in late summer.
- There are many varieties of blackberries, such as
the British Loch Ness
variety, that don't have thorns. But otherwise, when
gathering
blackberries, use rubber boots and gloves. You may want
to wear a hat with
mosquito netting to protect your face, and also keep
away insects that love
to feet on the white flowers growing on most berry bushes.
- Wild black or red cherries can be sweet or tart. Don't
eat too many black
cherries in one sitting, since they act as a natural
laxative.
- Wild cherries are an effective pain reliever. Read
more...
- Cranberries keep well, so you can find them in the
spring after the snow
has melted.
- You can most commonly find cranberries in the forests
of Maine and
Michigan. Remember that, unlike blackberries, cranberries
don't grow on
high bushes, so remember to look closely at the ground.
- Wild blueberries grow "Maine-ly" in Maine
and eastern Canada (New
Brunswick, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia) and can be
found throughout the year. They are only one of three
berry species native to North America.
- Wild blueberries, which act as an anti-aging food
thanks to their high
antioxidant content, should be picked when they are
a deep blue. If they
are purple, they are not yet ripe.
- Blue huckleberries grow low to the ground in woods,
tundra and marshy
areas. You can dry huckleberries to make raisins, or
make huckleberry jam.
- Raspberries develop into a rich, ripe red in early
or late summer,
depending on where you live.
- Tea made from raspberry leaves is good for pregnant
women and may prevent miscarriages, as well as lactating
problems and, later, diarrhea in infants. NOTE: Before
making tea out of raspberry leaves, consult a doctor!
- Black raspberries reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Their prime season is
July 1 through July 31. They are even more fragile than
the red kind, so be
carefully when handling.
- Black raspberries, found in the United States and
Oregon in particular,
are typically blue and black in color.
- Salmonberries look like wild raspberries, but are
smaller and have less
flesh. You should eat the red or yellowish berries raw.
You can find
salmonberries in North America, particularly Canada,
and some parts of
Europe.
BERRY GOOD STORAGE TIPS
- If you can't eat your berries on the spot, remember
that they spoil
quickly when left fresh in the refrigerator.
- You can use a dehydrator
on most berries. You can make dried cherries, cranberries
and blackberries that taste as good as the commercial
dried fruits. Remember, drying preserves nutrients and
taste.
- Wash all berries immediately in your own kitchen.
- You can store berries in airtight containers. However,
if you put them
out in an appealing bowl, you may be more tempted to
eat them
|
