“Picking berries is a quintessential Canadian experience and a great summer pastime for the whole family. Every kid should know the joy of being outdoors with their faces smeared in berry juice.”
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NE OF summer’s most enjoyable pastimes — eating fresh, sun-ripened berries — also happens to be one of its healthiest. Thankfully, a bevy of berries are available in BC, rendering health-conscious foodies “spoiled for choice” when it comes to selection. Yet despite all the options, many of us rely on the predictable trifecta of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries for our “berry nourishment.” You can break out of this berry rut by incorporating the following less familiar but equally delicious berries into your diet.
Currants Don’t confuse these aromatic berries with the dried Zante grapes that go by the same name. Fresh currants — available in black, red and pink varieties — are true “berries” that grow on shrubs and ripen from July to August. Though not as widely cultivated in North America as they are in Europe, currants are growing in popularity here thanks to their intense flavour, amazing health benefits and culinary versatility. They deserve the recognition. “When you taste it — the real berry — you wonder how so much flavour can come out of such a tiny thing,” says Dan Hayes, co-star of the popular cooking show Moosemeat and Marmalade. Their nutritional profile is as impressive as their taste. Currants contain more disease-fighting anthocyanins and vitamin C than blueberries. Research indicates consumption of the jewel-toned berries can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, protect vision and reduce the risk of cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. The red-hued varieties are sweeter than the black and are delicious eaten raw or used in preserves and baked goods. Although the black variety can be somewhat tart, cooking and sweetening them releases an astounding flavour that shines in everything from cheesecake to savoury sauces. Another way to utilize them is to employ Silver Rill Berry Farm’s sublime Black Currant Concentrate in your culinary repertoire. I utilize this healthy elixir in everything from smoothies to yogurt parfaits! (See silverrillberry.com for more information)
Loganberries This wine-red berry, a hybrid between a blackberry and a raspberry, is the creation of California horticulturalist James Harvey-Logan, who produced the first cultivar in 1881. Loganberries now grow wild and in cultivation throughout the Pacific Northwest. Popular in the early 20th century, loganberries were eventually eclipsed by other hybrid berries that were less fragile and easier to transport. Today loganberries are enjoying a welldeserved renaissance. Their succulent taste makes them perfect for eating out of hand, but they also shine in preserves, fruit syrups, pies and other baked goods. A piquant sauce made from loganberries can also add an intriguing note to roast meats. Hayes is particularly fond of this berry and uses it often in the most British of desserts — the renowned “Eton mess.” If you’re not persuaded to try them for their scrumptious taste, you may be won over by their nutritional profile. Rich in vitamins B, C and K, and copper and manganese, loganberries are also abundant in ellagic and gallic acids. These beneficial acids have anti-viral, anti-carcinogenic and anti-bacterial properties.
Salmonberries You may not find these orange-hued berries in the supermarket, but you might on a trek through the forest. Indigenous to North America, salmonberries inhabit the entire West Coast, from Alaska to California. The bushes that produce these sweet berries — a member of the rose family — tend to cluster in forests and near streams. If the idea of foraging for salmonberries puts you off, consider the words of Dan Hayes: “Picking berries is a quintessential Canadian experience and a great summer pastime for the whole family. Every kid should know the joy of being outdoors with their faces smeared in berry juice,” he says. Once you’ve picked them, you can use salmonberries as you would any other summer berry, but I find their inherently sweet flavour makes eating them raw a great culinary experience. It’s also an über healthy one, as salmonberries, like their berry brethren, are irrefutable superfoods, rich in carotenoids, vitamins A, C and K, manganese and fibre.
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