Moscow-Pullman Daily News Blogs

The mountains are calling. Can you hear them?

We are less than a week away from August. Gardeners on the Palouse are seeing strawberries and raspberries emerge. Our friends on the Clearwater and Salmon rivers are seeing blackberries. That can only mean one thing… There will be huckleberries popping up on the sunny slopes of the mountains around the Palouse.

And there will be huckleberry pancakes for breakfast, huckleberry ice cream and huckleberry pie & cobbler for dessert. Oh joy! Oh rapture!

Every summer, my family ventures out with empty milk jugs, zip-lock baggies and coffee cans in pursuit of the tasty little pearls of purple and blue. We return to a few of our favorite spots around 3,500 to 4,000 feet in elevation where the tart, fragrant little gems flourish every year. Even the price of gas will not stop us. A gallon of huckleberries sells for around $30.00 depending on who you talk to, so if money is a problem, just pick an extra gallon for the gas fund.

A few of things to know about huckleberry picking:

1. Check with the Forest Service Ranger Station where you plan to go. Often they will be helpful with tips on areas to look. Be sure to bring a map of the area you plan to visit. Some areas may require a permit to drive or walk into huckleberry habitat.

2. Get some information from the library or online about huckleberry identification. There are several other fruiting berry bushes that contain harmful toxins capable of causing severe illness or death. Remember the golden rule of wild berries, plants & mushrooms: WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT!

3. Take a survival kit and a first-aid kit (you’re going to be in the woods) and bring extra water for the car as you may be climbing steep, winding roads in the hot sun.

4. Bring sunscreen, bug repellent, long-sleeve shirts and long pants. (huckleberry bushes aren’t always friendly)

5. Be prepared for the possibility of wild critters who may also be searching for huckleberries. Black bears are voracious huckleberry eaters. Carry some kind of protection such as a big stick, bear spray, or a firearm. (Several outdoor sporting goods stores on the Palouse sell bear spray oleo resin capsicum and can help you decide which self defense products would suit you best. But don’t get too hung up on the bear thing. They almost always scram at the first hint of human presence.

6. Bring soap and water (huckleberries are messy) and a good supply of paper towels to clean up afterward.

7. ALWAYS carry a shovel and a 5-gallon bucket when venturing into the woods. Fire danger is a very real possibility in August.
Aside from these tips, there are a few rules about huckleberry picking that my family has imposed:

1. Children under the age of 10 must return from a huckleberry foray with purple stained fingers and lips.

2. Children between the ages of 10 and 17 must return from a huckleberry foray with purple stained fingers and lips.

3. Adults must return from a huckleberry foray with purple stained fingers and lips but also at least enough berries to sprinkle on a pancake.

That is all I have to say on the matter of huckleberry picking for now. Stay tuned next week when I will contribute a few huckleberry recipes my family has used.

Cheers!

-Brett-