How to: Garden Huckleberry Syrup

Can-Do Real Foods works with a number of small family farms in the area. One, located high on the ridge above Newberg, is Sunshower Hill Farm, owned by Ranee and Jody Solmonsson. They raise a number of organic crops and Ranee produces amazing teas.

A couple of years ago she had a small crop of garden huckleberries and wanted a culinary syrup which might be used for pancakes and desserts, but was planned to make spectacular beverages from a simple Italian soda with carbonated water to your most alluring adult beverage of choice.

Whenever we mention this product most people assume we are talking about wild huckleberries, the kind you enjoy on summer hikes usually at higher altitudes. Garden huckleberries, however, are a whole different genus and belong in the nightshade family. They grow on cultivated bushes and are ready to harvest after the nights start getting significantly cold. Image may contain: plant, fruit and food

The berries are pretty large and not sweet at all. The skin is tough and the berry, when ripe, is hard. 2017a

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This presents a bit of a challenge in the processing. We need to extract juice from this hard berry, so the first step, after washing,  is to heat it up to help soften it.

Then the berries get milled and having the right tool is an important trick. Using a typical food mill or a chinois is long and laborious, with the container needing to be cleaned out and muscle fatigue in the shoulder usually occurring before the job is finished.

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However, thanks to a friend, we were able to borrow another kind of mill that spit the juice one way, the “must” (seeds, any stems and skins) another direction and it all worked easier on the arm.

Even better, when we ordered one we were able to get one with a motor as well as other screens to help us with other foods we process this way, such as pumpkin, grapes, and quince.

Once we have enough juice, sugar is added and then a bit of lemon juice to add a sparkle. Filling the jars is the final step and then, as in any canned food, letting it process and sit to make sure the seal is tight.2017d

Sunshower Hill Farm will have this item for sale starting late in November.  Contact them directly for obtain this wonderful syrup. Image may contain: drink

 

 

2 Replies to “How to: Garden Huckleberry Syrup”

  1. Hello! I grew a few plants this year, the cooked fruit is amazing.
    Can you reference the safe canning source you used for this recipe? I should have researched more before I grew them and I’m not finding much.

    1. I’m so sorry I did not see this earlier. I’ve been “on hiatis” so to speak. Garden Huckleberry Syrup
      Ranee Solmensson
      Sunshower Hill farm, Newberg

      4 cup fruit
      1 ¾ cup sugar
      1 T lemon juice

      Cook fruit down slowly, mashing as needed. Potato masher works, but milling once soft is better.

      Add sugar and bring to boil and then reduce to thicken. This volume takes about a half hour.

      Add lemon juice and simmer one minute more.

      Output is just a bit more than the amount of juice first added. You want it to reduce a bit to thicken up but not as thick as pancake syrup. We made this without any pectin.
      The November 29th batch we made last year started with 24 cups of juice (and 33 cups sugar, and 1 cup of lemon juice) made 27 8-ounce bottles.

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