By Heather Kallevig

Special to the Homer Independent Press

Many Alaskans’ yearly traditions are driven by nature’s clock. Leaves turn green, heralding the arrival of summer. Lupines encourage us to revel in the sunny days of June. By the time the fireweed begins to take over in mid-July, we’re already thinking about the arrival of autumn and winter. This period is also signaled by 6-foot-tall pushki (cow parsnip), produce in our gardens and the much anticipated arrival of wild berries. 

Within a few weeks, crowberries, salmonberries, huckleberries and blueberries will be ripe for picking. For many Alaskans, berry picking in August is as essential for filling the freezer as salmon fishing in July. This year, the berries are running a bit late, but several people have reported finding them in their favorite spots over the past week.

There are berries throughout the Homer area, but some of the most popular picking areas can be found across the bay in Kachemak Bay State Park. In the 1990s there was a notable die-off of native spruce during a spruce beetle infestation. Many of those dead spruce eventually fell, becoming nurse logs and opening portions of the forest canopy to new growth, including berry-producing shrubs. Protection within the state park also means much of the land remains undeveloped compared with the more populated Homer side of the bay. Pockets of younger trees also shelter the plants from harsh winds and weather, allowing them to grow, thrive, and bear fruit.  

Most foragers seek huckleberries, blueberries, salmonberries and trailing raspberries. The trick is finding them. If you ask someone where they like to go, they are unlikely to tell you. Berry spots are as protected as favorite fishing holes. Fortunately, finding your own patch is half the fun.

Mako Haggerty, owner and operator of Mako’s Water Taxi since 1996, has picked berries across the bay for decades. Not surprisingly, he was unwilling to give away his favorite spot, but he did have helpful information to share.

“There are berries throughout the park. Just pick a trail and keep your eyes open. If you time it right, you’ll find berries. The key is to make sure you’re on public land. It’s not OK to pick on private property or tribal land (Alaska Native corporations land). Know before you go.”

Berries are also an important food source for wildlife, especially bears. If you go berry picking, carry bear spray and make enough noise to avoid surprising a bear. 

If you’d like to learn more about Homer’s harvesting bounty, including wild berries and more, check out the “Drop-In Discovery Lab” from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14, hosted by the Kachemak Bay Environmental Education Alliance at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. The theme, “Celebrating Nature’s Bounty – Harvesting, Wildcrafting, Fishing” will include wildberry harvest. For more information, contact Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve’s Education Coordinator, Ingrid Harrald at ieharrald@alaska.edu.

Wild berries are a flavorful and nutritious addition to our diets. They are also an ideal ingredient to accent and enrich many favorite dishes, elevating meals with a hint of color and flavor. We pick berries with our kids every year and whatever doesn’t get eaten right away as sauces, muffins and other treats goes into the freezer to enjoy throughout the winter as a small burst of summer. 

Our favorite recipe is this berry sauce adapted from Sally Pasley Vargas “The Blueberry Cookbook.” We make large batches and store the sauce in jars in the refrigerator rather than canning it. We’ll enjoy the sauce on pancakes and ice cream, mixed into drinks or slathered on a sandwich to spice up a grilled cheese. We like to experiment with different berries mixed in with our huckleberries. Raspberries are a family favorite. These additional varieties give each year’s sauce its own unique flavor. 

Berry Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup fresh or frozen wild blueberries

⅓ cup sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Pinch of fine sea salt

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt. Bring to a boil and mash with a potato masher to break up the berries to release their juice. Set aside to cool.
2. Store in the refrigerator in jars or glass containers and use as desired.
3. Use on pancakes, ice cream, or anything else that needs a little blueberry magic.
   

Picking berries has become a yearly tradition in our family.  There’s something wonderfully wild about berry picking in Homer, Alaska.  It’s muddy boots, tangled branches, little hands reaching through the brush and the kind of summer adventure that doesn’t need much planning. Out here, picking berries becomes about so much more than what ends up in the bucket—it’s about exploring, slowing down and giving kids the freedom to discover Alaska one berry at a time.