“To me, food is completely transparent, honest and generous, that has something true and original to it.” RenéRedzepi of Noma.
This introduces my experience with high bush cranberries last week. When I saw Kevin writing about them, and that he had been out foraging, I had to ask. Those of you who read me often, know I have learned to ask to be taught lessons I want to learn from those who clearly know what I want to know. In this case, it was: where are the cranberries and will you take me with you? Kevin is consistently generous with his time and his expertise,which I appreciate, and we arranged a time and a date.
Spoon by La Fourchette at lafourchette4@gmail.com
A couple of days later, we were in the middle of our city on a very popular nature walk and the berries were abundant. And, I mean abundant! The warm sun and the blue sky were settling as we met at 6 pm near Snow Valley Ski Hill just off the Whitemud Freeway. Seconds later, we were breathing in the beauty this late autumn has painted for us. Crimson leaves. Golden leaves, Crunchy underfoot…. and high bush cranberries!
Why have I not been picking these all of my life? Kevin did not know. Neither did my mom. I come from a long line of foragers and scavengers. I was elated and dumbfounded to discover an unknown edible wild berry in my midst that I was completely unaware of. And this year, the high bush cranberries (Kylina to the Ukrainians and Pembina, to the French) were absolutely exploding with colour as the brilliant bundles of glistening morsels saturated the landscape. Actually, you can smell them before you see them, if you pay attention to your nose.
They are tall, but the branches are easy to manoeuvre which made picking them incredibly rewarding and a heck of a lot of fun. Kevin pulled this tree over and we picked and plucked about a half bucket full each on the alone! See how plentiful the clusters are! But they are definitely not tasty as a fresh fruit. Tart would be an understatement. Yet, they are nothing like a chokecherry in dryness. There is a stinkiness to them that is sour and sweet and musty and musky. It is really very appealing in a completely unexpected, unusual, and unexplainable way!
I was delighted to be outside on a gorgeous evening practising a ritual that I have not participated in for a few years. I caught the berry picking fever. Getting something for nothing is a really great feeling. Especially something this precious.
As I said, the path was busy. People were consistently walking by and calling out to us, “What are you picking?” The interest was high. The berries are clearly a secret to most. Yet, here we are, in the heart of our metropolis, foraging an abundant supply of berries that are very high in vitamin C and can be used a variety of ways. Kevin is harvesting them to make wine. I am going to make jelly, and syrup, and juice, and try to dry some for baking or cereal.
They do have a very big heart shaped pit in them. Kind of like the purple grapes with the huge seeds, but these berries are much smaller, and the seed is bigger.
I love living where there are four distinct seasons. I don’t remember an autumn for a long time that has been able to age in full colour before the snow flies. Look at the bounty!
Are you getting the idea that there were berries everywhere? I have a little mental illness, or a fetish, that when I am berry picking, if there are more berries, I cannot stop. I just cannot. Even if I reach my goal. What will happen to them? What a waste if they are not used…
Woops! A little too over zealous, and my bucket slid off of my arm as I was pulling down a branch. I scooped them back up, dirt and all.
We were out a little less than two hours and it was getting too dark to see. My bucket is the short fat one. Kevin’s is the tall narrower one. I got 15 pounds; he got 21 pounds. If the sun had not gone down, I am not sure how long I could have continued one. Much longer than berries needed, that is for sure. I had a phenomenal time!
After they were all cleaned and washed, leaves removed, I had 12 pounds of fruit: beautiful.
I can’t help it. They are gorgeous. I can’t get enough of their brilliant translucent beauty. But, time for the juicing process. I read a lot of recipes. Most had too little fruit and too much water. All had far too much sugar, but that is what it takes to make jelly: a lot of sugar. The yellow berries are nor fully ripened, and contain a lot of pectin. Kevin told me this, and I learned it through my research. If you get a lot of them, you use less, or no pectin. I had a lot in my last two thirds. In my first batch, I didn’t have many. I used four pounds of berries to 2 cups of water. That seemed perfect for the juicing process. I actually put my hands right into the pot until it was too hot, and pushed and pinched the berries under the water to juice them. After that, I used a flat mallet to squish them. I set the timer for ten minutes and very lightly boiled the fruit and squished the plump globules to release their ruby juices. Between 8 to 10 minutes of doing this, I used a cheese cloth and folded it a few times over my sieve.
The berries were scooped up into the cloth covered sieve and left to hang overnight: no pushing or the liquid will be cloudy!
In the morning, I was very happy to see I had a little over three litres of juice. I then took the mash and squeezed it to make a cloudy drinking liquid. I tried to dry berries, but that did not work: too labour intensive. If you have done it, please tell me how!
No pics of the process as I did it at night. I measured the juice and had 15 cups. Wonderful! I measured 5 cps of juice and 7 cups of sugar into a heavy pot. Stirring it frequently, I brought it to a rolling boil, at which time I put in the pectin (one package of the gel) and let it continue to roll and boil for a minute; turned down the heat, and using my wide-mouth funnel, poured the soon-to-be-jelly into jars of all shapes and sizes. I had the canner on heating and when I finished the last bottle, it was ready to process the jelly. In they went at a low processing temperature of about 180″œF for 25 minutes; the water was not quite boiling. And see they gorgeous jelly I found the next morning?
I am crazy over it. It is a distinctive taste, but not stinky. It is just unfamiliar and bright and tart and as delicious as it is brilliant.
On the left are my jellies; on the right are the syrups.
I used the 10 cups of juice and 5 cups of sugar with 2 packages of liquid pectin to make the syrup. I was hoping it would be thicker. It is a nice thickness, but I was hoping for a loose jelly. I should have known better with so little sugar. But, I was hoping that the pectin in the fruit and the added pectin would work some magic. No matter. It is incredible: much stronger and more tart than the jelly. I thought I might use it in a verrine dessert and add gelatin to it to make a lovely high bush jelly layer. That would be a deadly panna cotta. So many ideas have come to Vanja and I. He just wants to drink it with sparkling water. It would be lovely with Champagne, too!
Interestingly enough, the high bush cranberry is not a cranberry at all. It is a member of the honeysuckle family. It is truly amazing what one can scavenge and create into a gourmet delicacy. If this isn’t Canadian, what is?
The video below is by Chef RenéRedzepi of NOMA restaurant in Denmark. He presents my food philosophy: not my ability, but I celebrated with him as I watched this. If you are reading this post, you will enjoy this video. Truly.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygTaJC5FeD4
Once again, I cannot reach into the jar. But, it is a little too wild for me, anyway! (Will reverse psychology psyche her out?)
High Bush Cranberry Jelly Recipe
Yields about 10 cups of Jelly
Ingredients:
- 5 cups of high bush cranberry juice (about 4 pounds of cleaned berries and 4.5 pounds of uncleaned ones)
- 7 cups of sugar
- 1 package of liquid pectin
- jars, lids, sealing lids and canner
Instructions:
- Add 2 cups of water to 4 pounds of cleaned berries in a heavy pan; heat to a light boil for 10 minutes while squishing the berries to release their juices with a mallet of a potato masher
- Once all berries are squeezed, and no longer than 10 minutes on the heat at a low boil, strain the berries with cheese cloth and a sieve overnight; do not press on the berries, or the jelly will be cloudy and not have the lovely glistening transparent hue that is so sought after
- Set canner on the stove and bring to a simmer (180°F)
- Measure 5 cups of liquid and add to a heavy pot
- Add 7 cups of sugar tot he pot; stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and then bring the mixture to a strong rolling boil
- Add the pectin in as soon as the mixture reaches a strong rolling boil, and continue to stir and boil for one minute
- Remove from the heat and use a wide mouthed funnel to pour into canning jars
- Be sure the jar top is clean; add the sealing lid and lightly screw on the other lid
- Set all jars onto the canning rack and lower into the canner, watching for the temperature to reach 180°F once again, and when it does, ensure it stays there for 25 minutes (set the times, and monitor heat closely)
- Remove jars gently and set on a towel or rack when processing is complete; so not touch for 12 to 24 hours
- Check the seals, label, and store (YUM!)
GREAT jelly photos. I made the classic mistake on my first forage to not add enough sugar – I have syrup. What a glorious high-bush cranberry year!!!
Kevin: You may know this, but you can take the syrup out of the jars, anytime, and put it back in a heavy pot, add the right amount of sugar; no extra pectin should be necessary if you added it first go round, then bring it to a rolling boil for a minute after sugar is dissolved, and reprocess. it won’t hurt a thing and you will get jelly. That is, if you want jelly.
🙂
Valerie
i live sort of by snow valley and always drive by there, but have never noticed these cranberry bushes before. i should take my kids there for a stroll and show them all these beautiful trees full of cranberries (that’s if you did leave some still hanging…haahaa). i don’t blame you if you didn’t though, they really are beautiful. you guys sure got a lot from from just a couple hours of picking. great pictures! they sort of remind me of those red fish roe. the jelly looks really great too.
you and Vanja had some really good ideas of what to do with this. adding it to sparkling water sounds wonderful, and the panna cotta idea DOES sound deadly. can’t wait to see what you do with this.
What an awesome little adventure. I love the idea of foraging, I’m just afraid that i would pick up something poisonous. Hubbykins does not trust me :P. The jelly you made looks wonderful.
Love the spoon 🙂
*kisses* HH
Well I am continuing to learn each and every day through blogging. I am not sure that high bush cranberries would be growing in our semi-desert climate here in the valley where Saskatoon berries and Oregon grapes abound. It reminds me that I should head out and make some Oregon grape jelly which would be Okanagan foraging.
Awesome post, and pics. You should post the pic of the jelly with the closeup of your imprinted spoon on food gawker and tastespotting. Great stuff, and I have to see if I can find these berries in NJ…
My mom used to pick highbush cranberries and made the most wonderful jelly. Unfortunately I did not learn from her when I had the chance. Last year I was missing my Mom and remembering her jelly so much I could taste it. (Mom always went as much berry and as little sugar as she could get away with.)So I dragged my 82 yr young Dad out to show me his picking hotspots. What a wonderful time! Even though I still have juice in the freezer, your blog makes me want to go out again, if they are still pickable. For the record, in our house, we have taken to calling it Stinky Sock Jelly. Thanks for the wonderful story and pics!
Mark and Candy,
Thank you for stopping by and leaving such a heart touching story in your comment. I am sure there are still some down there. E-mail me and I can explain where they are if you are in Edmonton. I agree with your mom sugar wise, thus the syrup when I was trying to get a loose jelly with much less sugar. Jelly just needs sugar to jell. Usually it is a two to one ratio with most berries. I love that this recipe is 5:7 (berries/sugar) . But, the syrup is delicious and 9:5(berries/sugar), so I will have fun using it.I love the Stinky Sock Jelly Title. What wonderful memories from your family to mine. My parents are 80 and 81 and will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary in November. Preparing the video for it has had me crying almost daily, so I do understand your appreciation of the time spent with your dad. I am so blessed to still have both parents.
🙂
Valerie
I have high bush berries in my yard. I made jelly yesterday, per the directions. Except I had pectin powder. It didn’t gel solid like jelly. What do I need to do to get it to gel?
That is odd, Tracy,
And lucky you to have these in your yard! I didn’t get any this year due to my dad in the hospital!
You can see the consistency of mine in the photo. Mine isn’t ever a hard jelly, mainly because I prefer the softer gel. I find the powdered crystal pectin does give better results if you are having problems. It can depend upon the berries, but it has always been simple to make and turns out perfectly by following the instructions. You may need to cook a little longer up front, before adding the pectin and boiling hard for the one minute. Hope this helps.
🙂
Valerie
I made a large batch of Wild highbush cran and orange jelly this year ….delicous! But I so wish the stink was removable! lol
So funny, Shelly
They call me “the nose” at my house as I can smell oders before anyone else – yet these berries cooking don’t smell stinky to me.
Odd, eh?
🙂
V
Supposedly there are multiple plants we all call ‘highbush cranberry’, and one of these is stinkier (and supposedly less tasty) than the rest. So perhaps that is why the differences? I have a highly sensitive nose, and the ones I have growing in my yard and processing don’t stink. I’m so glad!
Thanks, Debra! The stinkier version being “less tasty” may be a personal call. Wild highbush cranberries around central Alberta are pretty stinky when boiling them, but that dissipates and the jelly doesn’t have any stinky taste at all.
Deee-licious and so pretty.
I appreciate your knowledge and you sharing it!
Sincerely with a big hug,
Valerie
Stinky Schminky! In my long past youth, we lived out along the lake bank and every September I eagerly looker forward to ONE thing. No not school! I had a little more than a mile walk to the bus stop and was always sniffing for that smell. then a good frost would paint the tree leaves beautiful colours and fill the crisp air with that fresh bush-smell, as my brother called it. THEY were READY!!! I’d pick all we needed and mom would make CRANBERRY Jelly! On the rare occasion that we had Cheese Whiz all would fight for toast to spread Cheese Whiz and a glistening layer of CRANBERRY Jelly all over and enjoy every morsel. Thank you ,Mom, for showing me how happiness starts your day off right. Well, now this year my son-in-law and his parents picked me almost enough to make jam so today I will do it. Wish me luck…but this has no fail ability. At worst I get fabulous pancake syrup! Keep writing I love it!
My dear Laura!
What a lovely reflection. Thank you so much for sharing. I was right there with you.
There is nothing like the autumn air and harvest season.
Hugs,
Valerie
how do I know if it is true high bush cranberries what do they look like
Compare them to the photos, and smell them?
🙂
V
Stunning pictures! These berries look like ruby pearls!
Do you really need to store so many bottles of jelly? :-)) I would love some for my Swiss Rolls!
Angie
Wow oh wow! So gorgeous Valerie, and oh so lucky you for having this adventure of discovery. High bush ‘cranberries’! Who knew?! Love the idea of ‘tart’… and the colour is of course spectacular. Wish I lived in your area, I’d be out there now picking up the few stays you might have missed in the falling light. The subject and photos are outstanding. Happy to see you having such big fun!
I grew up with high bush cranberries as a kid. We had a bunch of bushes in our yard at the lake. We made jelly and pyrahi (Russian tart) with them. When we were visiting our daughter in Edmonton, I went for a run along the whitemud ravine and noticed the high bush cranberries. We were back in Edmonton this last weekend and I picked a 4 liter pail and made jelly out of them. I used 4 cups of juice to 8 cups sugar and two packages of liquid pectin. The jelly was already setting while I was putting it in jars, so I could have probably cut back on the pectin. The smell of dirty gym socks while cooking the berries has always been a bit of a joke among our family.
The Redzepi video is well worth watching and so appropriate to for inclusion on this page about locally foraged foods. Nice to see!
I have been trying to buy highbush willd cranberry Jelly locally with no success except how to make the same. I am presently buying jars from Manitoba. Where and who can I buy from in Ontario?
HI, Bernie
I am in Alberta – so really don’t know. I gather and make my own, but just last year, our Jam Lady at the downtown Farmer’s Market started making and selling it. Have you checked out your local market vendors?
🙂
Valerie
Where in Calgary can I buy allready made wild cranberry Jelly or just the berries. Since I left Edmonton area 20 some years ago, have not been able to find them. would really appreciate where to get them
I am from Edmonton, Lucy, do have no clue – but I would try the Cookbook Company Cooks Store. Give them a call, ask if they carry them or know someone who does. Also, try Mo-Na Food Distributors. I do know they sometimes carry them.
🙂
Let me know!
Valerie
Just go to the trails along the North Saskatchewan river out on edges of city . they are thick
THANK YOU! Woot!
🙂
V
We just returned from Manitoulin Island with 2 baskets of cranberries.I have them boiled down and dripped and now ready for jelly making in morn.We pick these along a creek…in abundance.
I hope you use my other recipe for traditional Cranberry jelly. Highbush cranberries are so different than the authentic berries I believe you probably just picked in Manitoba?
🙂
V
OMG, Valerie! Coming here is like … home reunion week!
One of my most favorite memories in the world is coming home from school and the smell of cranberry jelly, with a knotted sugar bag suspended between the leaves of the kitchen table, the crock underneath catching the juice.
We lived in “logging country” in BC: my father used to travel the logging roads to repair broken down trucks and such … and he’d notice the blossoms in the spring when the leaf cover wasn’t thick yet. Then later in the year, we’d all head out in the blue 50 Chev fastback (named Lizzy — after the Queen of England, apparently) with the windows down, as Mom located the patch by smell, and dad strode into the underbrush to find the stand: the parents handled the ripest red ones higher up. I best remember Mom picking with a baby or toddler on her hip, holding down the branch with the hand that supported the baby … Each kid had a lard pail attached to a belt or shoulder strap, getting the of golden berries blushed with red from the lower, shaded branches. We’d pick buckets and buckets full, tipping them into water pails, the enamelled baby bath and a small washing tub in the trunk of the car.
Thanks for the memories. I *must* find a cranberry bush for my yard!
BTW, I’m pretty sure she never crushed the berries: they popped when boiled. Mom mentioned many times that a bit of green apples would have made them thicken without Certo … *the* brand of pectin available in our stores then.
Eff!
Wonderful to meet you and to rise this gorgeous Saturday morning to such a vivid image. Thank you so very much for taking the time to share it with myself and my readers. This is why I share my stories and experiences – to foster a community of like-minded people and inspire these these kinds of moments – should I ever be so lucky. And, today, I was!
🙂
Valerie
We have a lot of highbush in Mn and Ws. A good way to find the bushes is to find the flowering plants in the later spring when they are flowering, very distinctive. A good reason for a nice walk
There is nothing like a Spring walk in the woods or the bushes, is there, Cindy!
Especially when you can find wild asparagus spears, or hints of what is yet to come!
Great advice.
🙂
Valerie
Thank you Valerie. Excellent article! I used your article and credited you in the research for my High Bush Cranberry Sauce post on my FEFL Blogpost.
http://foodenthusiastforlife.blogspot.com/2016/02/discover-high-bush-cranberry-another.html
Greetings, Alan,
While I love to share and appreciate your reference to my writing in your post, using a photo without credit is not exactly kosher. I most likely would have lent it to you, had you asked, but to assume it would be OK to just use is quite a stretch, no? This is an old post and not my best work any more, but it is my work. I also enjoyed reading your post…
Happy foraging.
🙂
Valerie
Cranberry Jelly turned out awesome . I am first timer Jelly maker. I still have about 10 cups of juice left and hope i can add something like ginger pieces or pepper to make a different batch. will freeze the juice until i have smaller bottles and an new idea for flavor. thanks lc
YAY! Thanks for letting me know, Lorraine! So happy!
🙂
Valerie
Hi Valerie,
I added 2 pints of raspberries to the 5 pounds of cranberries I harvested. My gf has a family farm out by Devon, so we went there but you can also find them all over Hawrelak Park, (on the river side). I am in the process now of draining them, so I will get them canned tomorrow night! My gf’s mum says they are always better after the first freeze up. They get sweeter!
Sounds delicious – but to be honest, I really like the singular and subtle flavour of the beerries on their own!
🙂
V
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I was blessed with finding several trees on my little property here. There are not many recipes available for these berries. The jelly came out looking beautiful. Hopefully it tastes as good as it looks! They do stink while cooking!
I like the flavour, Mary Ann – though it is not a strong flavour. It is tangy and a taste of place, for sure! Let me know what you think when you open your first jar!
🙂
Valerie
Is it possible to purchase a machine to remove seed other than boiling and pressing juice and pulp out? Or would it be safe to leave seed in? We pick 200 lbs berries, 1 quart juice plus 1 cup sugar makes best pancake syrup in the whole world. Richard
NOne that I know of, Richard, but that sounds like a DEEEE-LISHOUS syrup!
🙂
Valerie
OK – this will sound heretical I suppose; however…I’m an older person and when younger, I made jams and jellies at my mom and grandma’s’ elbows. I’ve done it on my own for 50 years now. They never processed the jams and jellies in a water bath. I haven’t either. I am careful to sterilize all equipments as well as jars and lids, pour the hot, hot mixture into hot, sterile jars, wipe tops with boiled water and secure with sterile lids. I have never had a problem with any syrup, jam or jelly going ‘bad’ or molding. In the last few years, I’ve been reading the posts on sites that aim to educate people in preserving their foods, and they all seem to indicate that boiling water baths are essential in the process, even for jams and jellies. I’ m curious and wondering what has changed, or is this simply ‘overkill’?
Also, the liquid pectin (pouch) that I used most recently called for removing the berry/sugar mixture from the heat after boiling rapidly for 1 min., then adding the pectin and stirring, skimming for 5 min before jarring. I did follow the directions and it seems to have jelled properly. Previously, I’ve only used the powdered pectin, so I wondered about the difference.
I live in the Yukon and every year, my hubs and I travel up the Dempster highway for an anniversary trip (51 this year). We end our journey a couple of hours past Tombstone where we go to our ‘secret’ (ha ha), high bush cranberry patch, along the Ogilvie river. This year was no exception and last weekend, we picked until the bugs became too ravenous!! I’ve just made my jelly and it’s gorgeous. We also love the syrup, so we’ll pick more while moose hunting and I’ll do as Richard says, use less sugar and little or no pectin. It’s become a favourite on waffles and ice cream …yum!!
Thanks for posting the recipe – I always check because it amazes me that so much sugar is needed!! Happy foraging!
Linda
Thanks, Linda!
Love your sharing and DEFINITELY can relate – part of the process included in blogs is due to “responsibility” and ensuring that the standards are advised to avoid issues, though many of my personal experiences and practices were like yours when I was growing up.
🙂
Valerie
Do you process the syrup the same way as the jelly?
I sent you a personal response, but likely would. I’ve never made enough to process.
🙂
Valerie
My goodness, I am so jealous that you all have high bush cranberries to indulge in. My 90 year old mom used to make jam, jelly and syrup out of these exquisite red morsels. We now live in southern B.C. and do not have access to these berries anymore. I cannot purchase any preserves around here, nor can I find it through mail order. Is anyone willing to sell me a few jars so I can surprise my mom on her 91st birthday coming up? It sure would be appreciated.
I have no idea where you can purchase these. I have never seen them for sale even at the market.
🙂
Happy Birthday to your mom! Hope someone responds to you!
🙂
Valerie
Hi, I am wondering if I can half the recipe. Berries not great this year.
Im sure you could, Colleen.
I have not.
Usually the cooking time will be a bit less. The setting time is usually the same?
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Valerie
Hello Valerie, The pictures you have on this site are awesome. We just picked some of these berries in Western Newfoundland. They were not around for a few years, it seemed like something like a bug destroyed the leaves and blossoms and therefore there was no fruit. We sure missed them but have them this year so maybe the cycle will begin again. They too bring back so many memories for me. We used to pick them in five gallon buckets and would share them with our family members who loved to make the high bush cranberry jelly. The bottles of jelly got shipped off to friends and family not living around here and they sure appreciated it. I use the Bernardin no sugar added powder pectin and I have great success with it with this kind of jelly and all other kinds of fruit jelly. I dont know if you heard of it but its usually on the shelf at the store in the same area as the certo pectins. I cant believe how little sugar this jelly needs and the taste is just right, I really enjoyed reading your story and all the stories of the people who commented, Thank you so much, Linda
Thank you so much Linda, for your lovely reflection!
I didn’t know these bushes grew in NFLD too!
Fabulous! Am gaga over the Partridge berries I discovered there!
Happy 2024!
Valerie
I found the jelly to be too sweet which was very disappointing. I was looking forward to the tart flavour. The sugar completely overwhelmed any other flavour. If I ever decide to make high bush cranberry jelly again, I would cut the sugar down by at least 2 cups and add a bit more pectin to compensate.
Thanks for your feedback, Janet.
I used the minimum requirement of sugar to keep the preserves food safe. We didn’t find it too sweet at all.
Odd.
🙂
Valerie