Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Saskatoon Berry Sauce

In eastern Washington, wild Saskatoons (Amelanchier alnifolia)—aka western serviceberry, shadbush, and juneberry—grow near the extensive orchards of cherries, apples, and pears that follow the river valleys. The Wenatchee River corridor near Leavenworth is loaded with Saskatoons, and it's interesting to see how this free food is all but ignored while the domesticated fruit trees are bombed with pesticides, tended to by an underclass of migrant workers out of Mexico, and fawned over by tourists.

The other day I picked a good quantity of Saskatoons in view of the orchards while passing motorists wondered what the heck this crazy guy was up to. The paradoxes of modern food culture pile up on our plates...

A Saskatoon sauce is just the thing this time of year to dress up a scoop of good vanilla ice cream. Or you can add some vinegar and herbs to make a savory sauce. Most of the recipes you'll find online are too sweet and use corn starch as a thickener. Don't follow the herd! The berries are plenty sweet on their own, and they'll thicken into a nice sauce with a little extra simmer time and whisking. For a dessert sauce I also like to add a little lemon zest in addition to the juice. Remember that these berries have noticeable seeds. The seeds add a nutty dimension to the flavor, but if you're picky about your texture, you can cook this sauce down (with more time and water) and run it through a food mill or strainer.

2 cups Saskatoon berries
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
2 tbsp lemon juice
lemon zest, to taste

Bring the berries and water to boil in a sauce pan. Reduce heat and simmer for several minutes. Whisk in sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Continue to simmer and whisk until sauce is thickened to taste. Add more water if necessary.


7 comments:

Melissa Poe said...

"The paradoxes of modern food culture pile up on our plates..." Nice! Sassies are uber deliscious right off the bush -- to me, those noticeable seeds taste like marscapone. :)

Becky Lerner said...

Can't wait to taste these. I'm eager to find them and I have a tip on where they might be! Thanks for the recipe idea!

Langdon Cook said...

Becky - They're planted as ornamentals so you might find some around PDX. Otherwise you better hurry b/c the wild ones are nearly done fruiting, at least those in eastern WA. Good luck, they're worth it!

Ellen Zachos said...

I've never seen an Amelanchier fruit so heavily. What bounty! Parents visiting this weekend and to commemorate the occasion I opened my last bottle of Amelanchier wine. Sigh.

Anonymous said...

I read that the seeds contain toxins that are removed by cooking or drying the berry. Is that true, or are they considered to be fine to eat raw as well?

Lyn said...

Sounds great cant wait to try it! Was wondering if anyone knows if I can preserve this and how?

Langdon Cook said...

Anonymous - Saskatoons (aka Juneberries, shadberries, serviceberries) have been eaten raw for millennia. There might be trace amounts but I wouldn't worry about it too much.