A North Idaho Tradition

“Thar’s gold in them thar hillsides!” Purple gold, that is – plump purple huckleberries bursting with sweetness, transforming pastries into desserts to make you dream, and changing drinks with familiar names into exotic beverages usually found at budget-breaking resorts.

What do you need to pick yourself huckleberry happy? A pail and perseverance. The reward? Purple fingers and deliciousness! (One quart of berries equals one huckleberry pie.)

Where is the purple treasure to be found? The best picking occurs up the slopes, along old roads and in old burns, along hiking trails and on trails through fir stands and timber cuts. Look for sites with grand fir, alpine fir and lodgepole pine trees in plentiful sunlight. Huckleberries thrive above 4,000 feet, but purple patches can also be found at lower elevations, including areas like Priest Lake. Berries on southern-facing slopes and lower elevations ripen first and are most succulent right now; however, good picking may be found as late as October on north-facing slopes.

Favorite areas are Mount Spokane State Park (with great picking along the downhill runs) Schweitzer Mountain Resort (actually anywhere on the mountain), the slopes near Roman Nose Peak, and the upper Priest River watershed. Due to the dry season, the pickings may be slightly less this year, but less water intensifies their flavor.

Berry-picking protocol: Picking berries by hand is the preferred method. Rakes and other devices take all the berries, instead of removing only the ripe ones and leaving the non-ripe berries to grow to perfection for the next berry-pickers.

Any warnings? The only forbidden huckleberries are those in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests this year. And, of course, commercial berry-picking is forbidden, but that’s good news for everyone else! You might consider sunscreen, mosquito repellent, and even though it’s warm, long pants and gloves can forestall scratches.

Any competition? The sought-after huckleberry has many ardent suitors. Dedicated huckleberry pickers travel from Seattle and Portland for the annual harvest. And frankly, sometimes berry-gatherers can be just a tad territorial over a truly terrific picking place they discovered. But the only fellow berry-lovers you will want to avoid completely are the bears. Bear spray is a safety must.

Huckleberry picking is an annual event held dear by many in our region. It’s also a cherished tradition in many families, uniting generations in spite of a rapidly changing world. When the huckleberries ripen, family bonding is one bucket away. Grab the sunscreen, a can of Bear-Be-Gone (seriously, take bear spray), an assortment of containers, and go! Bring home the berry booty and enjoy!

Here are some delicious recipes for your huckleberries:

Huckleberry Pudding

Ingredients:

3-4 cups of Huckleberries

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/8 tsp salt

4 1/2 tbsp oil

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

1 1/2 cup boiling water

Instructions:

Place fruit in bottom of greased 9 x13 baking dish. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, oil, 3/4 cup of sugar, milk and vanilla. Spread over top of fruit. Mix 1 cup sugar and cornstarch, sprinkle over batter. Pour boiling water over all. Bake about 45 minutes in 350 degree oven.

Huckleberry Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

½ cup sugar

2½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

¾ cup milk

⅓ cup oil

1 to ½ cups of huckleberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir with wooden spoon.

3. Add wet ingredients and stir until well combined.

4. Gently fold in huckleberries

5. Pour batter into muffin pan, filling each section ¾ full.

6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes

Grandma’s Huckleberry Pie

Ingredients:

• 4 cups huckleberries

• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

• ¼ cup water

• 1 cup sugar

• Your favorite pie crust recipe for a 2 crust pie

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees

• Mix all ingredients except pie crust in a pan and heat to boiling, stirring well to thicken.

• Pour into prepared pie crust, cover with top crust, and decorate, cutting at least two slits for air to escape.

• Cook for approx 45 minutes until crust is a deep golden brown and huckleberry juice starts to bubble from the slits in the top of the pie. Let cool on the counter. Best if made a day ahead and cooled overnight in the fridge for proper setting.

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