Guess there’s a bit of Euell Gibbons in me. Gibbons was famous as a gourmand of any wild-growing edible he could find. As a fellow outdoorsman, when we moved to our acre-and-a-half property about twenty years ago, I was happy to find a number of wild edibles growing there. It wasn’t surprising, considering that prior to its residential development, the land had been a private wildlife sanctuary, rife with animal-disseminated plants. I had to remove a lot of excess plants and trees, but many remain. Some of the edible fruits have disappointing flavors; in any case, most feed the local critters before I can get to them. Here’s a culinary roundup:
Mulberries
Ripe mulberries (shown at top) are very sweet and so prolific that they’re one of the few wild fruits that we’ve been able to enjoy. (Actually, they’re not a true berry.) When they were young, my grandkids, who live nearby, would come over and gorge themselves on the mulberries, to the consternation of my daughter who had to clean purple stains off the kids’ skin and clothing. The easiest way to pick a quantity of mulberries is to place a sheet on the ground under the tree and hit the branches with a long pole. This unleashes a shower of ripe berries. I’ve made mulberry jam, which requires only a small amount of sugar thanks to the fruit’s natural sweetness. To be sure, mulberries are often regarded as weedy trees, with an aggressive spread. But in a good fruiting year, birds, raccoons, and chipmunks favor the tasty and easy to grab mulberries instead of continually raiding our produce gardens.
Wild grapes
Numerous coiling tendrils allow wild grape vines to climb into almost anything, which is especially annoying when they wind through desirable trees and shrubs. Clusters of tiny fruit ripen to a dark blue color with a whitish “bloom” about the time of first frost. Individual fruits containing two to four seeds may be as much as a half inch in diameter under favorable conditions; I’ve found that generally they’re only about ¼” in diameter. Native Americans and pioneers used this fruit extensively, but I find it too tart and am happy to let the birds have it.
Gooseberries
Gooseberry bushes have wicked thorns, which makes picking the berries a thankless chore. The ¼” wild berries are tart, but less so when they turn dark purple. However, the berries usually disappear quickly, thanks to birds and chipmunks. I wanted gooseberries, but soon realized that cultivated varieties are larger and more flavorful. In any event, the wild ones grow prolifically. I even found a wild gooseberry plant happily growing eight feet up in the rotting crotch of a box elder tree, nurtured by whatever water collected up there. Guess you can figure how that one was planted!
Wild black raspberries
Smaller in size than their domesticated counterparts, these have a good flavor. I also grow domestic varieties and—since the two types ripen at about the same time—I usually mix the two together when picking. But here again, the birds usually beat me to most of them, seemingly preferring the wild ones. I’ve read that wild raspberries should not be allowed to grow with domestic varieties nearby, but thus far have seen no ill effects.
Choke cherries
The fruit is a very dark red drupe, about ½” in diameter, growing in open clusters. The flavor is harsh and astringent; choke cherry jam is sometimes seen for sale, but the fruit requires considerable sweetening to make it palatable. I’ve considered giving it a try, but the birds always get there first. It’s a small tree and, in fall, the leaves turn an attractive orange-red, depending somewhat on weather conditions. We’re resigned to enjoying the fall color.
False strawberries
False strawberries have foliage and fruit similar to true wild strawberries, though they’re classified in a different genus (Potentilla indica), and have yellow flowers, unlike the white blossoms of true strawberries. The fruit is edible, but virtually tasteless. The plants make a good ground cover, but spread so aggressively that I count them as weeds.
Black walnuts
These large, handsome trees produce an abundance of green-husked nuts about 2” in diameter. I’m amazed how squirrels are able to crack these things open; the best I’ve accomplished is a few tiny shards of nutmeat after taking a hammer to the nut buried inside the husk. The squirrels bury large quantities of the nuts, thus assuring a plethora of little black walnut trees all over the property. And how did some black walnuts end up nestled among the flowers in planters on our deck? Another aspect of black walnut trees: they produce a chemical called “juglone” which has been used as a dark brown dye and is toxic to certain other plants growing nearby. And black walnut wood is highly prized by furniture makers.
Are these wild edibles a bonus or a nuisance? Your call—but our local wildlife appreciates them without equivocation.
My grandmother used to make mulberry pie, which was almost too sweet. And a divisive thing among my family members–the fruit shook off the tree with little stems still attached, and my grandmother simply left them on. Which my mother thought was texturally objectionable (“like worms in my pie,” she said). So we spent lots of time snipping them off with a tiny scissors, but it was well worth it. My mother also mixed mulberries half and half with tart cherries in a pie–a perfect mix of sweet and tart. I haven’t made it in years, must look for a tree this summer…
For the mulberry jam, I strain the cooked mulberries to remove the stems and any seeds. Some people just eat the whole berry, stem and all.
No service berry trees? Extremely sweet, look like blueberries. Squirrels and robins fight for them. The only time I got enough to make anything was the year of the 17 teen year locusts. The critters like protein over carbs. I made a pie with no sugar, have to try mixing with sour cherries like Jenny did. Husband made wine, which was delicious if you like it sweet. I eat then off the tree before they get completely ripe, then they are not too sweet, and it’s only way I can beat the birds.
I hope that is not a Chinese mulberry. They should be destroyed, as they are horribly invasive.
The mulberries growing here are dark purple in color, while as far as I can tell, Chinese mulberries are red.
Consider drying mulberries in a dehydrator for winter snacking and desserts.
Good idea!
An early Euell Gibbons fan, I soon learned that there’s a not so fine line between edible and tasty. Few easily gathered wild foods qualify as the latter. The very best was locust blossom fritters but, considering that they were dipped in fritter batter, deep fried, rolled in sugar and sprinkled with orange juice, I suspect even a dirty gym sock could be tasty treated that way. I’m happy to let the critters have my wild fruits and seeds.
Do you have wild (alpine) strawberries? I assume not – as they are tiny nuggets of deliciousness!
I wish we did have true wild strawberries. They really are good. I’ve planted the cultivated kind, but lost all the fruit to chipmunks!
hard to imagine from the raw flavour but chokecherry jam is delicious. My opinion: better to feed the wildlife with all that fruit and just protect a few choice types for yourself.
A neighbor has a black mulberry tree. They seem unaware how delicious the fruits are. I always stop by for a handful. Thanks for a great article!
Be careful with the gooseberries, I think they are an alternate host for pine blister rust. Here in Maine we aren’t allowed to plant currants or gooseberries because the white pine is an important commercial species. Mulberries are lovely. I’ve had a mulberry tree that I keep “short” in order to harvest more easily. And the birds do challenge me when I’m out there. The tarp or sheet idea works great, I’ve done that for several years now.