Unique NW Cuisine: Washington Berries

A Plethora of Berries
Washington is filled with berries. Wild berries, farmed berries, organic berries—you name it, we got it. Fresh berries are one of nature’s sweetest additions to this fine state. They are delicious and also healthy. Berries are low in calories (about 80 per cup), high in vitamins, potassium, iron and calcium, and are a great source of natural fiber. In Washington, you can find wild blackberries, huckleberries, salmon berries, blueberries, boysenberries, strawberries, Logan berries, raspberries, Marion berries and a score of others.For centuries, Pacific Northwest natives picked berries and preserved them for use throughout the year. They would mash them and cook them in cedar wood boxes until they thickened. They would heat these over a slow fire to make fruit cakes or fruit leather.

Early pioneers learned from the natives and learned to turn Washington’s berries into their own traditional jams, pies, and cobblers. The usefulness and enjoyment of these berries still goes on today. Many people enjoy picking berries and using them in the kitchen. One of the most popular is the blueberry.

A Closer Look: Blueberries
Recent USDA studies show that Wild Blueberries are ranked #1 in antioxidant activity compared with 40 other commercially available fruits and vegetables. They rank higher whether they are fresh, frozen, canned or dried. Antioxidants help you to fight aging, cancer, and heart disease.

Picking blueberries is an activity most of us have done since we were kids. There’s no better way to get outdoors in the sunshine and end up with tasty treats too. Natural wild Blueberries grow high in the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest all the way up to Alaska. So you don’t have to go very far to pick some wild ones to enjoy.

Washington’s first planting of blueberries was around 50 years ago. It wasn’t very popular then and most farms were very small and did little business. In the past ten years, however, Blueberry farming has seen a major boom. In fact, consumption has increased about 50 percent because people found out the health benefits to eating those yummy little things.

Many new blueberry farms are popping up in Eastern Washington. Originally, the alkaline soil in that region made it impossible for them to grow. But, farmers worked around that by dosing the irrigation water with a little acid. Soon, blueberries will be a booming industry on both sides of the state.

There are a lot of great things about the blueberry. For starters, they are one of the easiest fruit to prepare and serve. There’s no peeling, pitting, coring or cutting. They have few natural pests, (other than birds), so pesticides are usually not used. They are tasty fresh or frozen and are good for everything from sauces to pies to eating right out of the basket. They are nutritious. Lastly, one of their biggest draws is that kids actually like to eat them! So, you found a place and picked some wild or farmed blueberries. Now, what are you going to do with them?

Here are some tips
They grow on low bushes and have a mild yet tart taste. A ripe blueberry will be all one color and should come loose from the plant easily. If you have to work hard to pick it, it is not ripe. Or, if you see a reddish ring where the fruit attaches to the stem, it is also not ripe.

Select plump, full blueberries with a light gray-blue color. The best way to pick one is to gently roll it away from the cluster with your thumb and into the palm of your hand. That way, you don’t bruise the berries or pick ones that aren’t ripe.

Once picked, leave the container open. If you close it, moisture can form in the container. Don’t wash them until you are ready to eat them, or they can get mushy. Freeze without washing as well. If refrigerated, fresh-picked blueberries will keep 10 to 14 days.

If you aren’t in the mood to travel, but still want to pick your own fresh blueberries, there are several farms in King County that let you do just that. These berries are not wild, they are farmed, but they are still delicious.

Henna Blueberry Farm
1800 Fall City-Carnation Rd (SR 203) SE
Fall City, WA
206.240.1473
Email: nayab222@hotmail.com
Crops are usually available in June, July, and August.

Canter-Berry Farms
19102 SE Green Valley Road
Auburn, WA
253.939.2706 or (800) 548.8418
Email: info@canterberryfarms.com
Sales room open year round for blueberry products (Jams, syrups, vinegars, chutneys.) Season usually runs from late July thru August.

Blue Dog Farm
7125 W Snoqualmie Valley Road NE
Carnation, WA
425.844.2842
Email: berries@bluedogfarm.com
Open mid-July

Bill Pace Fruit and Produce
2380 Bellevue Way SE
Bellevue, WA
425.467.0501
Email: paceranch11@yahoo.com
Open April 15 - October 31

Berry Patch
27010 - 78th Ave S
Kent, WA
206.963.5079
Open from late May through September.


Banana – Blueberry Bread
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. mashed ripe bananas
1 c. blueberries
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F degrees.
Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.
Cream together butter and sugar.
Beat in eggs.
Add mashed bananas.
Measure flour, reserving 2 tablespoons of flour to coat blueberries.
Stir baking soda and salt into flour, mixing well.
Stir in oats.
Fold into banana mixture.
Stir in vanilla.
Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons flour over blueberries, then fold into batter.
Stir in nuts.
Transfer batter to loaf pans.
Bake about 50 minutes