Juneberries- aka saskatoon berries

[lesa]

I was just reading an article about these berries- they claim they are delicious and easy to grow in my area! Has anyone heard of these-or better yet, eaten any? I am very interested to know how they taste. They are super early, ready even before strawberries. Botanical name is Amelanchier alnifolia.

 

[digitS']

Sure. They are blooming all over the place right now! Wild here and all the lower elevations of the hills are covered with white bushes! Serviceberries, pronounced "sarvis" by us oldsters.

Delicious jam. There's a problem -- really big seed for a small berry.

Mom used to say that she thought serviceberries were just for kids and birds. Then she got a jar of the very flavorful jam. mmmm! Someone has to pick a lot of berries to fill a small jar.

Steve

 

[Smart Red]

One of my previous failed experiments. I had two Juneberry plants that did not survive past two years old. I can't help with care or use.

That was a long time ago. I've learned a lot since those days when I worked or went to school every day and gardened only on weekends. As I build my small fruit varieties, I'll be trying them again.

 

[NwMtGardener]

Yes they are wild everywhere here as well. I dont know anyone here who uses the berry. We have other wild berries that are so much better and easier to use - huckleberries and elderberries are my favorites, but we also have thimbleberries, blackberries, raspberries... I wasnt a huge fan of the taste of serviceberries either, when i tasted a wild one, but i suppose like anything there could be domestic varieties that are more flavorful.

 

[lesa]

Interesting! Thanks guys! I was thinking that you ate the seed? Some described it as tasting like almonds? NYS is apparently going to try and get farmers to do these on a large scale. They claim they sell very well at farmers markets, and to restaurants. Everything I read stated that if you don't net them- the birds will get all the berries!

 

[NwMtGardener]

Yes birds love them!! I had no idea you could eat the seed, i thought they were hard as rocks.

 

[lesa]

Don't go and break you tooth, NwMt! I might be wrong about that!

 

[digitS']

www.for.gov.bc.ca/rsi/fnb/saskatoon.pdf

BC government says that seeds have a "toxic cyanide-like" substance that can be neutralized by dry or cooking.

Shoot. Maybe we can think of them as a nut that requires cooking and has a thin, useful pulp in the "hull" . . . Flavor reminds me a little of prunes and the hull is a fairly tender skin like with blueberries .

Birds make a mess with them, as they do with mulberries .

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

We have a bunch growing wild on the property, but mine aren't blooming yet.
I didn't find the flavor impressive, but could understand how it would be good as a jam.
As Heather said, maybe the cultivated varieties are better. Like most things that are improved by selective breeding. They're pretty when they're blooming.