Forgot to pack some fresh fruit in your lunch?\u00a0 Working outdoors in the West?\u00a0 Here’s a few edible species I’ve encountered in Utah which are ripe at this time of year.\u00a0 You generally do not need a permit to pick and eat fruit in-place on public land (but always check with your local office first!).<\/p>\n
Don’t eat anything you cannot positively identify!<\/p>\n
Amelanchier utahensis<\/em> (Utah serviceberry<\/strong>) – In my experience, bland and mealy.\u00a0 A. alnifolia<\/em> is sweeter, juicier, and more flavorful (tastes of apple with faint blackberry) but I haven’t run across it in Utah yet!<\/p>\n Mahonia fremontii<\/em> (Fremont barberry<\/strong>) – Generic fruit flavor, not terribly distinctive.\u00a0 Fruits are mostly hollow inside, but the flesh is sweeter and less sour than that of M. repens.<\/p>\n Mahonia repens<\/em> (Oregon grape<\/strong>) – Reminiscent of grape flavor.\u00a0 Sour.\u00a0 Sweeter later in the year especially after a frost.<\/p>\n Ribes cereum<\/em> (Wax currant<\/strong>) – Mild currant flavor with a hint of melon.\u00a0 Ripe berries are less intensely colored and more orange\/less red than R. montigenum.\u00a0 Dried remnants of the inflorescence often adhere to the bottom of the fruit — just eat the whole thing.\u00a0 Plants have smooth stems without prickles.<\/p>\n Ribes montigenum<\/em> (Mountain gooseberry<\/strong>) – Strong, sweet currant flavor when at their peak.\u00a0 Berries are deep translucent red when ripe.\u00a0 The berries have thin, erect hairs which can be visually off-putting, but the hairs do not pose a problem to your mouth.\u00a0 The plants, however, are<\/em> quite prickly — pick your berries carefully.<\/p>\n Prunus virginiana<\/em> (Chokecherry<\/strong>) – Generally sour\/astringent even when ripe, but some berries could almost be called\u00a0sweet<\/em> later in the year.\u00a0 Don’t mistake these berries for those of Sambucus racemosa<\/em> (Red elderberry), which is toxic unless cooked.<\/p>\n Rubus strigosus<\/em> (Wild raspberry<\/strong>) – Not pictured.\u00a0 When ripe these are usually half the size or less of those you might find in a store, but just as tasty.<\/p>\n To reduce contamination from animals, I don’t pick berries on bushes growing on an animal trail or path.\u00a0 I also discard berries which are rotten or have signs of insect damage.<\/p>\n\n\t\t