Summer is a Berry Good Time

If you love berries, then you are living in one of the best places in the world. Not only is Washington state the No. 1 producer of blueberries in the country, but we are second only to California in raspberry production, growing more than 60% of the nation’s fresh raspberries, along with more than 8 million pounds of strawberries! With our moist maritime climate, lengthening spring days, and relatively dry summers, you could say we live in a Berry Good place.

Washington is also home to lots of other berries, some of which, like the Himalayan Blackberry, you may either love or hate depending on whether you have a garden. I’ve heard it called the state weed of Washington. We have a native blackberry as well, the Trailing Blackberry. It has nicer manners, is much smaller and harder to pick, but the flavor is worth fighting with the thorns for.

Besides blackberries, a walk in the woods near you might lead you to handfuls of salmon berries, red huckleberries or thimble berries, and if you work really hard, you might find enough to make a nice wild berry jam. You need about 2 to 4 cups of berries. I’m usually content to just eat these sweet bites, foraging for them as I stroll along.

You will find enough fruit on our native Salal bushes, native Oregon Grape or the very desirable native Evergreen Huckleberry to make lots of jam or syrup with. Use a “bear claw” type picker to pick the huckleberries. It will save you hours of picking time.

Then, of course, there is always your garden. There is a sweet spot toward the end of June when I can take my morning bowl of yogurt out to the garden and choose from a triad of blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries. In addition to these standard berries, consider growing red currants for jelly or black gooseberries for vinegar.

Even if you don’t have a big yard, or don’t garden much, you can still stick a dwarf blueberry bush or two in your landscape. They turn a beautiful red in the fall, and in the summer you’ll enjoy a bowl or two filled with berries high in antioxidants. Strawberries tucked in anywhere will make a great groundcover with the added benefit of providing wonderful edible fruit.   

Berries can be used in sweet or savory dishes. Try a summer salad with spinach, green peas, goat cheese, and fresh berries. Make a blueberry or strawberry vinaigrette dressing. Fresh berries offer an added pop of flavor in chutneys or in fresh salsas served with pork or chicken. Try a Greek salad with blueberries, or, on a day when it’s too warm to cook, load a cheeseboard with berries, bread, nuts and a nice blue cheese. It makes a wonderful platter for a picnic or an al fresco dinner on the deck or in the garden.

Sprinkle handfuls of berries on yogurt or ice cream, or add them to your breakfast smoothie. Try whipping up a quick and easy shortcake for dessert on a hot summer day. 

If you have too many berries to eat all at once, they freeze beautifully. I eat my fresh frozen blueberries all winter long. Jams, jellies, and homemade syrups are other great ways to save the sunny taste of summer for the dark winter months. You can use quick microwave recipes, freezer jam recipes, or try savory fruit chutney or salsas.

As an added bonus, frozen berries are usually picked at the height of their flavor, and will be full of all the nutrition they had when they were picked. By freezing your own, you’ll save money while getting all those health benefits at the same time. Here are some of my favorite berry recipes—all low sodium to protect your kidneys and heart.

Berry and Tarragon Vinegar

• ½ to 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries
• 1 16 oz bottle white vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar
• Peel from half an orange
• 3–4 sprigs of fresh tarragon or fresh parsley

Drop blueberries, orange zest, and tarragon into bottle. You will probably need to pour out and set aside some of the vinegar to make room in the bottle for the fruit. Put cap on bottle and let stand for two to three weeks at room temperature. Use it sooner if you want. Strain out berries and herbs and return to rinsed-out bottle or put it in another bottle. Use with a nice olive oil for a great salt-free dressing. You can also use this vinegar to make berry vinaigrette dressing, recipe below.

Nutritional information: Negligible for calories, carbohydrates, protein, and sodium.

Berry Vinaigrette Dressing

• 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or red currants
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup berry vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon mustard

Blend fresh or frozen berries in food processor or blender. Add honey, vinegar, olive oil, black pepper, and mustard. Blend for 1 minute. Shake before serving.

Nutritional information per 2-tablespoon serving: Calories: 51, carbohydrates: 6 g, protein: 0 g, sodium: 3 mg

Spinach and Berry Salad

• 1-2 cups sliced strawberries or whole blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries
• 1 bunch fresh spinach
• ¼ cup slivered almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, or walnuts
• ¼ cup purple onion, diced
• ½ cup goat cheese or blue cheese
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil

Wash and drain fresh spinach. Slice strawberries; leave other berries whole. Add to spinach, along with onion and nuts. Toss with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. After dressing, cut or break cheese into small pieces and sprinkle over salad. Serves 4.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories: 184, carbohydrates: 10 g, protein: 8 g, sodium: 155 mg

Hot Milk Berry Shortcake

• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cup sugar
• 1 ½ cup flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ cup 2% milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups fresh berries
• About 1 ½ cups whipped cream

Grease two 8-inch cake pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In microwave, warm milk and butter for about 1 minute. Milk should be warm, but not scalded. Do not boil. Add vanilla and set aside. In large bowl, beat eggs with mixer until very light color. Continue to beat 3 minutes, adding sugar gradually. In separate bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Quickly and briefly fold flour mixture into egg mixture. Quickly and briefly fold heated milk mixture into flour-egg mixture. 

Pour into two greased cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for at least 30 minutes. Layer berries and whipped cream between and on top of layers of shortcake. Serve immediately. Serves 8.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories: 322, carbohydrates: 60 g, protein: 6 g, sodium: 61 mg

Contributor Katy G. Wilkens recently retired as registered dietitian and department head at Northwest Kidney Centers. The National Kidney Foundation Council on Renal Nutrition has honored her with its highest awards for excellence in education and for significant contributions in renal nutrition. She has also been awarded the Medal of Excellence in kidney nutrition from the American Association of Kidney Patients.

Eating Well, Living Well Classes

Studies show that working with a registered dietitian can delay kidney failure and postpone dialysis for longer than two years. FREE nutrition classes taught by Katy’s former team of registered dietitians are available at convenient times and locations around Puget Sound.

Eating Well, Living Well classes teach people how to eat healthier to slow the progress of kidney disease and postpone dialysis. Learn more at www.nwkidney.org/classes.