Me either, but I tell you what.. this weekend my oldest son Clint and his family (wife Carla, sons Clinton 6 and Colton 3, and daughter Chole 1) did. They spent the last few days up on the ranch, picking huckleberries. Now if you don't know what huckleberries are, you're missing one of the absolute best tasting fruits on God's green planet. And Deadmancrick Berries???
And they got three gallons! All this and they saw a momma turkey and her fuzzy babies, heard a cougar scream, spotted bear tracks, watched a doe and her fawn, and picked berries.
Ah I feel so sorry for myself. I had to work. But I'm so glad they got to do that.
You have to work for huckleberries. They grow best in areas that like to torture you. Little knee high bushes with luscious almost black berries peeking out, like to grow on steep north facing hillsides covered with foot grabbing windfalls. And bears like huckleberries as much as we do... so we share and if they decide to claim a patch, well who are we to argue?
I remember days when we lived up there during huckleberry season and Mom would make us huckleberry pies. The four of us would go out picking. Sandy and I wouldn't get too far from Mom and Dad, and we'd eat more than we gathered, but we usually managed between the four of us to get enough for at least one pie during an outing. Once I decided to save some berries for later and put them in my pocket for safe keeping. Lucky I had my denim bib overalls on. So at the end of an outing, Mom would clean the berries in a bowl pumped full of spring water, roll out the dough and make pies to die for... in a wood fired kitchen stove. In hot hot weather. But oh was it worth it (at least it was for Sandy and me cause we could play outside while Mom baked). We'd chase chipmunks around the woodpile all the while smelling that unbelievable aroma coming from the kitchen. It wasn't unusual in July to have fresh trout caught from the crick, corn from the garden, and huckleberry pie. Not a thing in the mix that came from the store cept the sugar and flour.
Huckleberry pie is still my very favorite desert, and Deadmancrick huckleberries? oooooooooooh Heaven should be so good!
Thanks for stopping by!
Jimbo
6 comments:
Huckleberry pancakes are my favorite! I love them. :)
mmmm MMMMM mmmm
What a prettyful picture you have painted with those words Jimbo. Sounds just heavenly. I remember hunting huckleberries as a kid.
Oh my, that is such an evocative word picture...have never tasted huckleberries but now I want some!
I love huckleberries. I made jam last year and can't wait for the berries to ripen here. Our huckleberries (our entire back woods is covered in them) will not be ripe until Sept.
Jimbo you are right about working for them. Between picking and preparing them for jam, 4 1/2 hours. But so worth it...those little black berries. Yummy!
I've never tried them. We dont get them way down here. Least I dont think we do. If its anything like wild blackberries tho, wow. I love blackberry cobbler pie.
Wow, sounds amazing! All of it!!!
Post a Comment