Huckleberry Everything

September in Oregon means huckleberry pie, cobbler, jam, ice cream, milkshakes, tarts, muffins, syrup, pancakes, barbecue sauce, and more. What’s so great about this tiny, dark-blue berry found in sub-alpine forests in the Northwest? It cannot be commercially grown. It’s fairly small and requires a lot of picking to get a bunch. Smaller than a blueberry and sweeter than a cranberry, many believe that huckleberries are the best of both worlds. 

Huckleberries, a cousin to blueberries, come from a shrub-like plant that grows in the underbrush of forests. More than twelve species of huckleberries are found throughout the Pacific Northwest. Find them along mountain slopes, and around lake basins between 2,000 and 11,000 feet above sea level. Huckleberries ripen in mid to late summer and typically reach their peak in late August and early September. The season is short, lasting only a few weeks between August and September.

Because huckleberries resist cultivation, they must be gathered by hand in the wild. It can take a day for a forager to gather just a few gallons. There are a few reasons why this species of berry has not adapted well to commercial farming. The plants take a number of years to grow to maturity and produce fruit, and they prefer acidic soils, frequently in areas burned by wildfire.

The huckleberry is the main food source for a wide range of animals including deer, birds, rodents, insects, and the most well-known, bears. During late summer and early fall, huckleberries can comprise nearly one-third of a bear's diet as it prepares for hibernation. Be careful if you are out foraging huckleberries on your own!

Huckleberries have been a staple of life for Northwest Native American tribes for thousands of years. The Salish, the Yakama, and most other tribes gathered huckleberries for food and medicine. As a food source, they were sun-dried or smoked, formed into cakes, and wrapped in leaves to sustain Native Americans through the winter. 

There seems to be no end to the ways that huckleberries can be used. They deliver a powerful punch of flavor, a taste of the wild that reminds us of the forest. That intensity multiplies in jams, jellies, and syrups. There’s not much to compare to the explosion of berries in huckleberry pancakes or muffins. And they can be a unique addition to savory dishes. As a bonus, huckleberries are full of antioxidants, high in iron, and a good source of vitamin C and potassium. Try some of these amazing berries before the season ends!

Huckleberry Jam

Ingredients

• 1-quart huckleberries (4 cups)

• 4 cups sugar 

• 4 tablespoons water 

• 3 tablespoons powdered fruit pectin

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

1. Rinse huckleberries and add to a heavy saucepan. Add sugar and water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.

2. When the mixture starts to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. The mixture may foam and that's totally normal. When sugar is completely dissolved, add pectin and lemon juice and simmer for another 1-2 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and mash if needed for consistency. Fill jars, leaving about 1/2" of room at the top. Cover and allow to set. Makes 3 pints.

Huckleberry Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon dry mustard

• 1/2 tsp. pepper

•  1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

•  1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

•  2 cups chopped tomatoes

•  1/2 cup cider vinegar

•  1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

•  2 teaspoons molasses

• 1 cup fresh or frozen huckleberries

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, cook onion in oil over medium heat until soft, 5 minutes. 

2. Stir in salt, chili powder, dry mustard, pepper, chile flakes, and cumin. Cook until seasonings are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. 

3. Add tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, and molasses. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

4. Add berries and simmer gently, uncovered, until softened, 25 minutes. 

5. Purée most of the sauce in a blender, then stir into the remaining sauce.

Grilled Salmon with Pickled Huckleberry Relish

Ingredients

• 1 ½– 2 lb Fillet of wild King or Coho Salmon 

• olive oil for brushing and salt and pepper

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme

• lemon zest and juice

Pickled Huckleberry Relish

• 1 ½ cups fresh huckleberries (or fresh blueberries)

• ½ cup sugar 

• ½ cup red wine vinegar

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 large shallot- very finely minced

1. Preheat grill to high. 

2. Place huckleberries in a medium bowl. Heat sugar, vinegar, salt and in a small saucepan and stir until sugar has dissolved. Add minced shallots and simmer for two minutes. Pour the hot liquid over huckleberries, stir and set aside. 

3. Brush both sides of salmon with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Zest a small lemon right over the top of the salmon and sprinkle with one tablespoon thyme leaves.

4. Turn the grill down to low, grill salmon, skin side down, directly on the grill, on lowest heat, close lid. Check after 5 minutes. Shift salmon to create crosshatch marks on the skin, and close lid again for just a few minutes. Salmon at this point will cook quickly, so check often- especially if it’s a thinner piece. Once salmon is cooked to medium-rare or medium (120-125 F)  turn the heat off.

5. Carefully place salmon on a platter.  Squeeze with the juice of half a lemon.

6. Right before serving, generously spoon the pickled huckleberry relish and just a little of pickling liquid over the salmon, and scatter with thyme sprigs. Serve immediately.