Foraging wild fruit

Monek Marie
Monek Marie Posts: 3,535 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Fruit

There are many wild fruits you can harvest. Sometimes you can move the plant or shrub or take a clipping to add to your property. Ask before you move any plant and make sure you know what it is. There are many poisonous plants out in the wild yonder.

But as with any foraging you really need to make sure you have identified the plant correctly. If your new to doing this I suggest taking an experienced friend or take a clipping to your conservation or extension office if you have one.

I am looking for the name of a wild fruit we have in a ravine here and of course my mind is not cooperating but it lead me to this link for wild fruits.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/wild-berries

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  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,402 admin

    Do you have a picture or a description of the fruit you are trying to identify?

    We have so many wild fruits available in my part of the world.

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  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,535 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @torey My mind knows this plant/shrub but today the name is just out of reach. It begins with a T. I think the second letter is an H. HA HA - Thank you - Thimbleberry!!!!

    https://nhest.org/thimbleberry-guide-marvellous-plant/

    It has a beautiful pink flower when setting fruit. The fruit looks like a raspberry but its not as tasty. It makes a fantastic jam or pie and mixes in well with other fruits for a fruit salad. I have not tried drying it.

    I found it in in poor soil and an area where the soil is damp. It's also on the edge of a forest.

    The description says it can be invasive but it does not seem to be here as it only grows in one area on the property and I have not seen it anywhere else. It can be started from clippings and I plan to do that as its not in the best location and hate to see if mowed down

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  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,402 admin

    @Denise Grant We have lots of thimbleberry here. Very prolific plant but I wouldn't call it invasive, either. It does like damper soil and some shade. Common under story plant. Beautiful when they are flowering, although the species here is white. I guess it might depend on your soil.

    It is a bit insipid when you are comparing it to raspberries or something else with more flavour but it helps extend your harvest of other fruits.

    I've eaten the shoots. They taste a bit like fresh peas. You probably want to save all your shoots for replanting but here I can forage for them in the early spring.

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  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,535 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @torey I am going to have to try the shoots. Thank you.

    I may look for shoots from the plant but I am going to try cuttings like I do with elderberries. Elderberries are very easy and successful to start that way adn I have a feeling Thimbleberry would be too.

    The Thimbleberry was one of those amazing finds you stumble on. It took me several days to identify it then I also asked a friend for verification. I just love the look of this plant and found out today that it has more uses than I knew.

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  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,402 admin

    @Denise Grant In the article is says it grows to 55°N but I have seen it much farther north than that. All the way to 60°, particularly along coastal BC & Alaska.

    And it does make wonderful TP. :)

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  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,535 ✭✭✭✭✭

    A good link for wild fruit foraging. Shows some of the poisonous berries

    https://practicalselfreliance.com/poisonous-berries/

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  • nicksamanda11
    nicksamanda11 Posts: 713 ✭✭✭✭

    I really like practical self reliance website for all things DIY for sure.

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  • lewis.mary.e
    lewis.mary.e Posts: 225 ✭✭✭

    This reminds me of hiking with my husband and stumbling into a patch of wild mint. I had no idea it grew wild. Also, the place we get our honey from had mint flavored honey because their bees found wild mint to get into.

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  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 1,938 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Monek Marie Great information. I got all excited about these thimbleberries thinking there was a new variety of berry that might grow in my temps. Told my husband there was a new one to look for when we start our berry patches.

    Then I read through @Torey's post and saw they grow wild in her area. Even better, that means they might here.

    Went and looked at the article and realized here they are called salmonberries. They don't really grow wild much in my area though they are in the state. Will have to try them out anyway and see if I can add them here.

    Wish I could find a blackberry that would grow here. Will have to look more into that one. They were everywhere when I was growing up in Florida.

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