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Among the delights of June is the advent of fresh berries, wild and cultivated. Canada boasts a huge array. Among the wild varieties are those with such descriptive names as bearberry, soapberry, buffaloberry, salmonberry, whortleberry, bilberry, bush and bog cranberries, currants, elderberries, gooseberries, mulberries and blackberries.

Cultivated varieties are better known to most people. These include raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and sometimes huckleberries.

Ranging dramatically in flavour and colour, all berries are the seed-bearing part of the plant. All are high in fibre, vitamin C, manganese, bioflavonoids and the anti-cancer compound
ellagic acid.

Raspberries have been cultivated for more than 2,000 years and can be found on every continent from mid-July through autumn. They are prized for flavour as well as the medicinal qualities of both the fruit and the leaves. The berries are most frequently red, but they also come in shades of black, purple, yellow, orange and even off-white (through hybridization, not genetic engineering–there’s a difference!). When picked, raspberries leave the stems and receptacles behind; these hollow berries are therefore very fragile. This means that getting them straight from the farmer or backyard guarantees that they will still be intact as well as fresh. Many raspberry farms have u-picks which provide the opportunity to harvest your own.

Raspberry leaves have long been known to improve uterine muscle tone. Raspberry leaf tea, taken routinely, will help to alleviate menstrual cramps as well as to support pregnancy and childbirth. The raspberry itself is readily digested and its nutrients easily assimilated by the body. Raspberries eliminate mucus and toxins and cleanse the blood. The fruit and leaf are both a good source of manganese (important for fat metabolism, healthy nerves and immune system, blood sugar regulation and the production of breast milk). The fruit also supplies the B vitamin folacin (or folic acid, good for energy production and the formation of red and white blood cells), riboflavin and niacin.

Blackberries are closely related to raspberries but are more perishable. When picked early, the fruit of the blackberry is quite tart, changing to sweet as it ripens. Best used the day they are picked, blackberries can be eaten whole and fresh or used to make delectable jams, pies and cobblers. The blackberry is high in folacin, potassium and magnesium. It’s a good tonic and blood cleanser and can be used to relieve diarrhea and hemorrhoids.

Blueberries are highly prized for their flavour, abundance and ease of transport. The range of varieties means that blueberry harvests can start in June and continue through to late August. The plants continue to bear fruit for up to 40 years and will produce berries for up to three weeks each season.

Nova Scotia and British Columbia lead Canada in blueberry production. Blueberry plants are relatively care-free and therefore lend themselves readily to organic practices: there is an ever-growing number of organic blueberry farms across the country that can be tracked down through local direct farm marketing or organic certification bodies. In addition, many conventional blueberry farms are reducing their chemical use through integrated pest management practices.

Blueberries are a good source of vitamin A, iron and manganese. They have a laxative effect, improve circulation, are good blood cleansers and are useful in countering urinary tract infections. They also have a documented positive effect on night vision as well as other eye functions. Eaten fresh, blueberries will help heal mouth infections.

Huckleberries, often confused with blueberries, are either blue or red in colour and found growing wild. The huckleberry is one of the oldest living plants on the earth; one plant in Pennsylvania covers several square miles and is estimated to be over 13,000 years old!

Strawberries have the largest global harvest of all the berries. These delicious berries are easy to grow, do not need much space and have the highest vitamin C and ellagic acid of all the berries. Few experiences rival the sensual pleasure of eating a freshly picked, sun-warmed, juicy red strawberry in June. Everbearing varieties continue to bear fruit throughout the summer months and into the fall.

Abra Brynne is a passionate and skilled cook who works at the Spicer Centre in Winlaw, BC.

Source: alive #224, June 2001