Spring brought so much rain this year, I was worried that all the good foraging in my yard would be washed out. The pokeweed harvest was thin, which was surprising, since the stems are normally so full of moisture one would think they would love wet weather. And no edible mushrooms to speak of, either (again, go figure!) But it’s been a pretty good year for wild berries.
First came the black raspberries, which were plentiful enough to enjoy on my morning cereal for a couple of weeks.
Ultra-local Black Raspberries for Breakfast
Then, in July, the wineberries started ripening. I had to pick them every morning to stay ahead of the deer and birds, but then they were delicious with yogurt and granola.
Wineberries with Homemade Yogurt and (Store-bought) Granola
Wineberries are an underappreciated fruit. They’re too fragile to ship, more delicate even than raspberries, and very seedy, but they have a nice tang to complement their native sweetness. They are considered invasive, but as far as I’m concerned, they are welcome in the untamed corners of my yard.
I was asked recently if they were for sale anywhere. I’ve never seen them commercially, even in farmers markets. Foraging is the only source, or hoping the birds will be kind and sow them for you.
Once, I was walking down a road near my house towards a newly-built development, marveling that the silver lining behind the farm field’s disappearance was an actual sidewalk for my walking pleasure, when I noticed that the road was lined, a few feet back from the verge, by a row of wineberry bushes. I came back with a basket and began picking, when a woman stopped her car to tell me that she had seen men spraying there with herbicide the day before. Paradise lost! Moral: be careful where you pick.
