blueberries?

[odd man out]

I have seen numerous references to finding wild blueberries in season when hiking around Alaska, but no mention of when that season is. Would we find berries the last week of July?

[mytime53]

It would help to know where you will be then. When it comes to berries being ripe (and flowers in bloom), we deal with both altitude and latitude differences more variable than most other states. Depending on location, I've picked blueberries anytime from July to September.

[bottom-dragger]

if you want a real surprize, soak the freshly picked blueberries in a bowl of water overnight.

[timetravler]

Late July you can also find huckelberrries, I believe. Also in some stores, look for salmonberry jam and syrup. It is not made from salmon, but kind of looks like the color of salmon eggs. It's really really good.

[gkrnjlr]

Oh wow! We'll be in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan during the first week of June. Do we have any chance of seeing blueberries or any other wild berries to pick?

 

Also - as for the Salmonberry jam.....a co-worker of mine mentioned just this week that they bought some and it is wonderful! I think we'll look for that, too! Any other neat/special finds to look for or buy?

[PennyAgain]

Remember, that very often in Alaska where there are blueberries, there are hungry bears!

 

Many stores in Alaska sell Alaska produced berry products. Just keep in mind that you can't take them home on an airplane in your carry on bag!

[mytime53]

Oh wow! We'll be in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan during the first week of June. Do we have any chance of seeing blueberries or any other wild berries to pick??

 

Now that is a question I can answer specifically; first week of June is too early no matter where you are up here.

[tee_harbor]

I'd recommend renting a car in your ports to find berries. Without one, you're not really going to be in good berry areas on the regular tours.

 

In Juneau, I've seen berries up on the Tram, but 1) they frown on people leaving the trails, 2) it's so high up, I doubt the berries will be ripe in July.

 

As bottom-dragger pointed out, worm infestation can be a problem, more so this year as we had a mild winter. If the berry looks malformed or wrinkled, someone's probably in there. Or a worm hole. :D I've found in Juneau that worms are bad at sea level, so I pick further up the mountains, which means waiting until August/September for ripening.

 

But if you have a car, an easy place to look in Auke Bay Rec Area. If the beach is oriented South/North as you approach, on the south end, there's a pocket of huckleberries (probably not ripe in July). Salmonberries cover the bushes up by the road, but people love those and usually pick them as soon as they're ripe. There's lots of elderberries, but they are toxic to most people. I find black currents down by the water, and there's also thimbleberries all along the shore. These berries taste better in a jelly, but are worth trying if they're ripe. On the north end of the bay, there're lots of blueberries.

 

Google baneberries and learn what they look like! They're toxic! A good rule is to just ignore red berries and even though you'll miss some good stuff, at least won't end up with your head in a toilet.

[gkrnjlr]

Now that is a question I can answer specifically; first week of June is too early no matter where you are up here.

 

Darn! Oh well, thanks for letting me know!

[odd man out]

We will be renting a car in Skagway and driving over the pass and back. Third/Fourth week of July. Will that be berry season? Will also be in Juneau and Ketchikan, but won't get too far out of town unless except for whale watching and flight seeing. I'm guessing there aren't too many berries on the boat or plane.

[bearbait]

if you want a real surprize, soak the freshly picked blueberries in a bowl of water overnight.

 

I add just a bit of salt to the water. Not much. It helps bring the surprises out.

[Mo-n-CJ]

We will be up there the 1st week of May......will the wildflowers be plentiful? What other things might we look for that week?

[Glaciers]

I add just a bit of salt to the water. Not much. It helps bring the surprises out.

 

Yes, the salt seems to help a bit with that.

 

In season there is some good berry picking at Hatcher Pass. It's also a nice area to explore the mine and surrounds.

[tee_harbor]

We will be up there the 1st week of May......will the wildflowers be plentiful? What other things might we look for that week?

 

I'm afraid in SE AK, we're still coming out of winter in early May. (Had snow last week) Wildflowers are best in early June. When you're here, things are greening up. Crazy, I know!

[wolfie11]

if you want a real surprize, soak the freshly picked blueberries in a bowl of water overnight.

 

That's just mean, b-d! Besides, those little worms have a lot of protein in them and impart a somewhat savory flavor to the berries.

[bottom-dragger]

That's just mean, b-d! Besides, those little worms have a lot of protein in them and impart a somewhat savory flavor to the berries.

 

so you had to go and ruin the surprise for the cheechakos ...........

 

i have many fond memories of waking up to screams of horror..............

[PennyAgain]

I thought the berries were supposed to have worms in them!