I picked a whole quart of these juicy red treats this afternoon, braving thorns, underbrush, and all manner of pesky little flying creatures, and there are still plenty left on the vine.
It’s a shame I can’t entice my children to collect berries as enthusiastically as they once did. Maybe I need to institute a “you can’t eat them unless you pick them yourself” rule…
If you have wineberries where you live, you might like to know that they make a delicious fruit crisp when paired with blueberries and peaches.
This past spring I made a few allergen-free strawberry crisps (since so many people in our families are avoiding wheat or dairy these days) and I think I’m going to combine that new recipe with the one I linked to up there and see how it goes. If it goes well, I will share! [update: duly shared!]
The berries freeze well if you can’t use them right away. I was finishing up last year’s harvest in my green smoothies a few months ago, in fact.
I haven’t had a lot of luck turning them into jam in the past – I find it too fiddly to figure out the correct amount of pectin and sugar. And besides, I think I may be over my jam phase. Maybe.
They are so good right off the vine. I say this as someone who is not much of a berry person. I do enjoy these though. Perhaps it’s the novelty of having them grow right in my back (and front, and side) yard that makes them so satisfying a snack.
I almost always bring in a new friend or two with a batch of berries. This guy was escorted gently back outdoors and left to find somewhere-not-my-kitchen to hang out.
Here are some wineberry resources for your nibbling pleasure:
- Wildman Steve Brill has recipes.
- WNYC did a wineberry story a few years ago.
- Mother Earth News also did a story back in 1982, brought to you now via the wonders of republishing old stuff on the internet.
- While I was picking this afternoon, I listened to Erica Wides’ Let’s Get Real podcast on Heritage Radio. The topic was Berries and the Bullsh*t, and she talked quite a bit about picking wineberries. I found it entertaining, but beware the NSFW language, if you’re not listening alone.
- Got vodka? Make wineberry cordials!
Happy berry picking 🙂
I never even knew there was such a thing as wineberries, but now my mouth’s watering. Your great photos are making me hungry. Enjoy the harvest 🙂
I didn’t at first, either. The first few years we lived here I was afraid to eat them!
[…] when it came time to pick the wineberries last week, I thought maybe I should try combining my old Wineberry Crisp recipe with the […]
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