Three Edible Berries of Canada

When on a hunting trip there is always the risk of getting lost. You can be prepared, but, sometimes, your chosen direction is not clear. You main priorities in this situation are to find shelter, keep warm and find food. I am sure that any prepared hunter will have food brought along, but what happens when these stores run out. Here I will outline three berries that can provide sustenance and fluid to a hunter lost in the Canadian wilderness.

Blueberries

Blueberries, those sweet berries that are perfect for jam, will keep you full and moving out in the forest. They have a nice, sweet taste when mature. They can be easily dried for storage and will last a long time. If you are equiped with a kettle and means to make a fire these berries can be boiled and spread to dry like a cake. You make use of the boiled juice to make a nourishing jelly. Varieties include:

1) Lowbush blueberry
2) Highbush blueberry
3) Velvetbush blueberry
4)Dwarf blueberry
5)Oval-leaf blueberry

They grow in both wooded and open moist areas.

Cranberries

This another berry that can be used in dishes. They have a tart, bold taste. They can be dried for storage and reconstitued in boiling water. They can be boiled and mixed with grease/oil for storage. They have an improved flavor after boiling or freezing and remain on the shrub all year. Varieties include:

1) Cranberry
2) Bog Cranberry
3) Lingonberry

Elderberries

I have always thought that elderberries look like small blueberries, but there are differences. They are powder blue and grow in clusters-a lighter blue than blueberries. They are edible if cooked or dried. The Elderberry plant is distinctive. It is a large tree-like shrub. It is important to note that Elderberries can make you nauseous if eaten in large quanities. Also the red variety of these berries is poisonous.