juicy

[piranha]

thimbleberry (rubus parviflorus). a couple of books about native plants call the taste "insipid" which makes me wonder whether the writers have ever tasted it fresh. it's my favourite native berry. one needs to eat it right off the bush, it's too fragile to transport; it usually breaks while one picks it -- i suppose one could make jam, but i've never tried. but oh yum. a burst of citrusy berry, sweet and tart and fresh. and the cane has no thorns. and the large fuzzy leaves make great outdoors toiletpaper. yeah, i am sure y'all wanted to know that, but hey.

Comments

Thimbleberry

[aquaeri.livejournal.com]

This sounds like a useful plant to know!

[lorres.livejournal.com]

Ooohh..it looks very beautiful. My mind is whirling with imagining the flavors. I love things that must be just eaten from the bush.

It can probably be made into anything in which one might use raspberries, yes? Such as syrups or cobblers...

[mayaknife.livejournal.com]

To me the flavour is reminiscent of strawberry, but with a stronger flavour and a bit more tart.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

I agree, thimbleberries are fantastic. I've been doing a lot of foraging here in Friday Harbor, and the thimbleberries figure prominently in that. My new favorite native berry comes from the maple-leaved currant bush; have you had that one?

maple-leaved currant bush

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

no, according to e-flora BC, we don't have any on the island, and it's very rare on the mainland as well. yummy?

Re: maple-leaved currant bush

[jinian.livejournal.com]

I am amazed at just how much so every time I go back for another. Luckily, no one else in the dorm seems to realize their deliciosity.

[flarenut.livejournal.com]

Perhaps there's a very short time between ripe/yummy and ripe/insipid. All the ones I've ever eaten have, alas, been almost tasteless. But they've also come off the bush with next to no urging at all, completely intact. So maybe I should find some that look like they're not ripe yet.

thimbleberries

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

there is a very short time between ripe and over-ripe, and over-ripe is unyummy (not exactly insipid or tasteless, but kinda *urk*, beyond the pale).

unripe isn't good. they need to be fully red before they're good (the one in the picture was perfect). they'll come off easily, but tend to squish in my fingers during transport to mouth.

maybe it's a soil thing.

Re: thimbleberries

[flarenut.livejournal.com]

Maybe it is the soil. But the feral blackberries and raspberries in the same area were just fine.

Re: thimbleberries

[betonica.livejournal.com]

I don't think any of the (few) thimbleberries I've eaten in Vermont have been particularly tasty. But they're a family tradition, from relatives / ancestors who lived in Ontanogan (sp?) Michigan. For a while I was ordering a case of thimbleberry jam from a woman there every year; it isn't as strong a flavor as raspberry jam, but had a very distinct taste and texture that we like. I suspect the berries in Michigan have much better flavor than ours do. Possibly west coast ones, as well.

[livinglaurel.livejournal.com]

....just looking at it makes me HUNGRY.

[firecat]

My screen is covered in spit.