Over the past few months I’ve been able to go berry picking
several times, each time for different berries. In late July one of my
co-workers, Joann, who is from here, took me out to the Issurituli (stream)
just outside of town past the school, and we picked some salmonberries. It was
a beautiful sunny day, and it felt great to be outside in the fresh air. The
tundra reminds me a little of Kansas, with the wide open spaces and big sky. Of
course, we’re also on the edge of a mountain, and the ground is soft and
squishy, but still, the resemblance is there.
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| The Issurituli |
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| Salmonberries (aka Cloudberries) |
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| Salmonberries and blueberries--pretty and delicious! |
I went back with Joann again in August, and we picked
blackberries (Alaska blackberries, aka crowberries, not to be confused with
Downstates blackberries, which are totally different). One Friday evening I
filled my whole bucket in just a couple hours! I am not a very fast picker, but
I think I am getting better. Some people here can fill their buckets super
fast.
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| Lowbush blueberries |
Berry picking can be hard work. All the berries are “low
bush,” which means they’re along the ground, so you have to walk, stoop, pick,
walk, stoop, pick, and so on. The tundra is soft and uneven, so it can be tough
to walk on. My legs definitely get a work out. It’s also really fun, though,
and kind of satisfying. If you find a patch with lots of berries you can sit
down for a minute to pick all around you. And it’s fun to go out with other
people and talk while you pick.
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Blackberries (aka crow
berries) |
Maybe it’s because I come from farm country, but I am
constantly amazed at the bounty of berries on the tundra. No one plants them,
or tends them, but every year they pop up, with plenty to feed anyone who can
get them. God’s earth is wonderful.
I’ve gone a few times up the hill behind my house to pick
blackberries, which are everywhere. Sometimes I go with Michelle or Allie, or
some kids who are hanging around, and sometimes I just go up by myself to get
outside. You start walking up, and when you see berries you start to pick,
slowly working your way up the hill. When you finally decide to go down, it’s
always surprising how far up you got. And of course, you seem to find all the
big berries as you’re walking down…
So what do people do with the berries? Mostly I think
they’re used in aqutak (Eskimo Ice Cream), which is made with crisco, sugar,
and sometimes mashed potatoes or white fish. A lot of people also make jam or
jelly with the juice, or bake them into breads. People will pick gallons and
gallons of berries (like 10-15 gallons!) to store in their freezers so they can
use them all year long. Another snack that has become my favorite this year is
eating fresh blackberries with milk and a little sugar (they’re not very sweet
on their own). Yum!
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| Mashed potato aqutak |
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| Blackberries with milk and sugar |
Friday I went out with Joann again and a couple other
teachers back to the Issurituli to pick tundra tea and lowbush cranberries. Again, these
are different from downstates cranberries. Some people here also call them
redberries, and I found out that they are actually the same as Swedish
lingonberries! They're not very sweet, and the texture actually reminds me of apples. I picked about a quart, and I’m hoping that will be enough to
make at least a little sauce to eat at Christmas.
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| Joann, Alexis, Me, Mary |
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| Cranberries |
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| All my cranberries |
We’ve had a few flurries of snow and colder temperatures,
and soon berry picking season will be over. It’s a little sad, because I really
like going. I think people are manuking (fishing with a stick and hook) now
though, so maybe I’ll get to try that. There’s always something to do out here!
