Berries Out Our Backdoor
By Sarah Olson
Fall is here! While that might mean the temps are starting to dip and days are getting shorter, there is still some foraging to be done before snow and ice cover our world. Interior Alaska has life growing around all corners, and we are lucky enough to be able to live in and enjoy the natural beauty that it provides. Alaska has several edible (and delicious) forgeable goods. The best way to learn and try them out is in your own recipes!
Feeling adventurous and wanting to bring the gifts of the tundra into your kitchen? Here is a quick guide to late summer foraging and ideas of what to do with your fresh found goods!
If you’ve spent any time in Fairbanks, you likely know the splendor of alpine blueberries. They are a town favorite and come in abundant quantities in and near Fairbanks. As they are found in alpine areas, you can find them nearly in any direction you choose to drive out of town. However, the Steese Highway has never failed to meet my arctic blueberry needs. If you find a good spot, you’ll be able to sit down and pick berries for quite some time before moving to a new spot.
Alongside arctic blueberries, Alaska also has highbush blueberries! These blueberries are on taller plants, hence their name. They are bigger and grainier berries, and also more tart! Highbush blueberries aren’t as commonly found near Fairbanks, but if you find yourself near Girdwood or sub-alpine areas of the Kenai Peninsula, make sure to check for this tasty treat below the tree line and in the rainforest.
Next up on the list is the salmonberry. Not sure what they look like? Imagine a huge, hairy, orange raspberry. Now you know! They’re found in similar areas to the highbush blueberry. The salmonberry has an incredibly unique taste that I will butcher if I try to describe. You’ll have to find it and try it for yourself to get the full experience of this unique Alaskan berry. Often confused with the salmonberry is the cloudberry. Until recently, I thought the salmonberry and the cloudberry were the same plants with interchangeable names, but to my surprise, they are far from the same. The cloudberry is a reddish yellow, puffy looking berry that grows four to five inches off the ground. Each plant only produces one berry, so they are rare to come across. They’re often found in bogs and marshes, so if you’re wanting to strap on your Xtratufs and stop through some marshes, you’ll find cloudberries waiting for you! I have had good luck with cloudberries in the Goldstream area.
Last up is cranberries! Just like the blueberries, they are both found in the highbush and the lowbush. Highbush cranberries grow on woody stems one to two feet off the ground, whereas lowbush cranberries grow an inch or two above the tundra as well as in it! When harvesting cranberries, I’d recommend waiting until after the first frost, as they will get less tart and a whole lot sweeter.
Finding the perfect place to pick all your favorite berries can be hard to find, but once you find your “spot” it’s likely you’ll want to keep going back for more. The abundance of the Alaskan wilderness is something we are incredibly lucky to have right out our backdoor. So, what are you waiting for? Go find yourself a bucket and fill it up with tasty treats from the land!