5 Delicious Berries You Should Pick On Your Next Alaska Hike
by Megan McDonald
We are in the peak of summer, and thanks to unprecedented temperatures, Alaska berries are ripening early and often! Grab your favorite berry picking containers and get out on the trails to stock up on your favorite berries before they’re all gone!
1. Salmonberries
These delicious little berries can be found on shrubs on the side of trails. Especially popular in Southeastern Alaska in moist areas, they range in color from yellow to deep red. They have a blackberry type shape and can be made into jam, jelly, wine, or our favorite- raw and off the plant immediately!
2. Blueberries
An Alaskan favorite, these tasty little blueberries can be found low to the ground in bushes. When you find the perfect spot you can sit down and pick to your heart’s content! Alaskans love their blueberries so much we have a festival each year in Girdwood in its honor!
3. Crowberries
Crowberries don’t get the attention that they deserve! Found in large quantities all over the tundra, they are sweeter if you wait to pick them after the first frost. These little berries are powerhouses of antioxidants, but tend to be very bitter when eaten raw. Try them in a syrup, or traditional Akutuq (Eskimo Ice Cream,) for a fantastic take on this prolific Alaska berry!
4. Cloudberries
These gorgeous puffs of berry are tart and lovely. They have a flavor that tastes like a cross between a currant and a raspberry. You can find them hiding out in both arctic tundra and boreal forest, so these are more common than you think. They’re actually highly sought after in Nordic countries, but aren’t as well known in the US. Grab a handful of these Alaska berries and enjoy a new flavor!
5. Watermelon Berry
These fun little dangling juicy berries have a faint hint of delicious watermelon flavor, and the shoots taste like cucumbers! A perfect light summer treat, the berries grow in wet areas like by stream beds and inside moist thickets. The juice of the berry also reportedly soothes burns!
What are your favorite Alaska berries to pick in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!
If you’re looking to escape these hot temperatures, check out 7 Great Ways To Beat The Alaska Heat This Summer!
Alaska Public Land Information Centers has a great guide on edible berries you can find in the interior. Check it out here!
1 comment
I wouldn’t call crowberries ‘good’, but they’re good for stretching out your blueberry supply.