Huckleberries

Taste Everything Once is a foodie blog. Me, I love food. Good interest match.

The other day, the author wrote about huckleberrie hunting. Huckleberrie hunting is not for the faint hearted... or for those who prefer the suburban lifestyle. It is however, fun for those who enjoy dirt, bugs and wildlife. You see, huckleberries are not domesticated. Many have tried - including members of my own family, but as far as I know it still hasn't happened with the best possible outcome. It's the last outpost of pioneering ways in a world were people can barely recognize a cow*.

So if you want to get your huckleberries without paying up to $35/gal. here are a few tips...

1. The season starts earlier than anyone will tell you. If you hear it from friends, your local market or see them for sale on the corner, it's almost too late. What really helps is to ask aelderly relative or friend on drive to see if the berries are ripe. If it was a mild winter start going on these drives around the 4th of July. They'll love it and you'll be the first one to find a good spot.
2. The further north you go, the later they're ripe. If you head up to the Chewelah area, the berries should be ripe mid to end-of-July. Keep going north on 395 to Sherman Pass/Republic and you can pick well into August. I know that many people recommend the Priest Lake area, but it's been my experience that if everyone recommends it - everyone is going there.
3. Park your car and walk. The best berries are never along the roadside. Plus they're usually too dusty to eat right off bush. Look for an area of trees that have been thinned out and go more than 10 feet into the forrest. Anything less and you're sure to find a bush that has been used as a "coverage B.I.F."
4. Head out at the crack of dawn - if you're in a city, leave before the crack of dawn. Flies and wasps are late sleepers. They like the summer sun shinning down on them after the air has heated up... around 10.30 to 11 am. Picking is miserable at this point. However, if you started picking at 6 or 7 am, you're already gone.
5. If you're taking children with you remember a few key points. First, they're not going to be pickers and they'll eat more than they bring back. Second, educated them about the forrest, especially if you live the suburbs. It's all new to them! Bears, deer, raccons, etc. are things they see on tv or from a moving car. Also, remind them NOT to walk towards a large crashing sound - it's usually a large non-human animal. Third, give each child a whistle. It's really easy to become separated while focusing on finding a good spot.
6. Bring a camera. Seriously, you never know what you might see. Personally, while picking I've seen mutiple deer, moose and a bear. I've also see cougars a few times and was almost eaten by one at the age of 4 (thank goodness for Grandpa!) Smaller forrest creatures go without saying. Not to mention moutain meadows that make you want to run around singing "The hills are alive with the Sound of Music!"

Non experienced pickers should be able get a gallon per person within 3 hours.

*My cousin recently displayed severe cow ignorance during hike in the Okanogan National Forrest. First she was completely ignorant that a cow had a split hoof - seriously, in mid-August in that area what else is going to make a hoof print like that? Second was realization that the National Forrest administrators allow cows to graze throughout the woods during the summer months. Apparently the cattle guards every 50 feet, cow pies every 4 and actual cows were not enough clues.