Serviceberries, Juneberries, or Saskatoon Berries

No matter what you call these, they are good!
Wine, pies, jelly, ice cream topper, pancakes.....or just eat 'em!

[@greenworld514]

Those saskatoon berries look awesome and they do have quite a good size. I did not expect such large bushes to grow under such poor soil conditions. Those you showed could be of the cusickii or alnifolia subspecies. If you know a really great bush I would love to grow some plants from seeds or trade some seeds with really good productive strains that I already grow if you are interested for they come pretty true from seed. Thank you.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

I'd love to do that. I don't know much about them, or how to do it. Getting some started in the yard would be great!

[@greenworld514]

@@MuskratOutdoors Definetely. And yes, getting them established in an orchard or yard under superior growing conditions they are even more productive and in spring, summer and fall a stunning site! My best saskatoons are 18 mm in diameter (berry size)

[@nieldcreek2098]

As a kid I grew up across the border from you in Wyoming. Sure brings back the memories of picking serviceberries!!! We also used to pick a little orange colored berry, not sure what it’s called. Maybe you called it a gooseberry??? Anyway, I just started watching your videos after reading your comments on Idaho Hillbilly channel. Now I’m going to subscribe to your channel!

[@MuskratOutdoors]

GREAT! Welcome! And thank you! Those wild strawberries are really good! Too bad they are so small. What we call "Gooseberries" I think are currants. I bet that is what you were picking too?

[@nieldcreek2098]

Muskrat Outdoors yep, as soon as I saw the ward currant it all came back to me! That’s what it was. Man do I want to go pick some again someday!

[@skullstaxx]

Picking loads of currant berries and waiting for the wild raspberries to get ripe

[@terrymacleod6882]

our wild raspberries are just ready now. and tick season is all but over.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Sounds great! I don't see many wild raspberries here. Just a few now and then. WE do have bushes we planted in the yard that are ripe now though.

[@ChrisGilliamOffGrid]

We don't have them here obviously. I was going to attempt to grow some of the Yankee berries down here tho. Probably try currants.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

I know Service Berries are sold as "Ornamental Garden Plants" you could probably find them for sale. Currants....the berries have seeds in them. I wonder if they would grow? I could send you a handful of them?

[@itsamysticlife3500]

I remember as a kid in the south, we'd go foraging all the time - crab apples, green plums, peaches, & pears from old farms; elder berries, blackberries, sumac, pecans, muscadines & scuppernongs (wild grapes) from all over. We could even glean some of the farm fields for veggies & stuff the machines couldn't get to or had spilled. Oh and the wild greens - dandelion, mustards, and poke salad. The way people are supposed to eat. But most areas now a days are "civilized" and many wild edibles & medicinals are called weeds. Thanks for sharing a bit of your blessed life.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Exactly!! It's kind of funny, if you have to baby a plant along, it's a crop....if it grows everywhere with no effort, people call it a weed and want to kill it! Makes no sense when you think about it. To me, it's enjoyable getting food from the wild. Except for gas to get there, it's free too!

[@staceymay2655]

Love your vids... You and Idaho Hillbilly are my favorites on youtube. Peacetooya.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Thank you Stacey! Kevin & Miss Kitty are great!

[@Leverguns50]

Awesome to learning about berries another places, The five pointed crown on the Barry does distinguish it from any poisonous berries, here June berries get ripe in May instead of June, The ones growing out in the sunlight are sweeter than the ones growing underneath the trees, The simple life is the best, In this modern society it doesn’t seem like people like to stop and think, Great video as always, I always enjoy your stuff

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Thank you very much! I agree, the simpler the better. Ours seem slow here, June or July but we are 4,000+ feet elevation. These berry bushes were about 5,000 ft. Our growing season is short for garden plants too.

[@Shastavalleyoutdoorsman]

3:50 yep. We've lived much the same there was quite a few of us and dad was a trucker and a logger. Mushroom in hunting and berry picking was just part of it. Same as garden and plucking chickens. Away from people, yep. My kinda country.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

you bet! Kids today, most anyway, are sure missing out!

[@ImixSpb]

Damn, I did spend 20 minutes figuring out what those berries were))) Ha! As it turned out, they (Service, June, Saskatoon berries) are different varieties of the same plant which is called Amelanchier in Latin. This plant grows in southern Russia, mainly in the Caucasian mountains. Here in the northwest where I am, these berries are rarely found in the wild. However, some gardeners cultivate ones for themselves. They say these berries are delicious enough besides being healthy.

[@terrymacleod6882]

they are delicious. still eating last years saskatoons.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Interesting! Neat to know that they are there too. They do sell the bushes as "Ornamental Garden Plants" too. I would think that unless you are eating the berries, they would be kind of messy just to look at though. I bet the birds clean up most of them.

[@ImixSpb]

I shall taste serviceberry jam soon. I'm going to order this one from an online store. A can of this jam (Serviceberries with orange and apricot added... it sounds good to me) costs about $ 5 per pound.

[@ImixSpb]

@@terrymacleod6882 OK! I'm certainly going to taste the berries.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

@@ImixSpb That's not a bad price. I bet you will like it!

[@mountainbushcraftersallian8654]

One question....how many make it to the bucket when you're picking them??to eat or not to eat is the question...😂

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Yep! Blue fingers and blue lips too! Ha!

[@nickjejeran1065]

His voice and accent sounds like Dave Ramsey's

[@REAPERMILITIAOUTDOORS]

Never seen them in my area any of those berries you have there. Dang it lol those look tasty just like the goose berries I think they were called. 👊💀🍻🇺🇲🍻

[@MuskratOutdoors]

They are! What we call Gooseberries, I think are really Currants. No matter what they are called, they are good. Neither is super sweet just picked off the bush, but they have good flavor. In pies or jelly, they are really good. I bet there must be berries of some sort near you?

[@Leverguns50]

I’ve never seen them get that big here

[@MuskratOutdoors]

That's surprising. These are usually about the size of store bought blueberries, maybe a little smaller than a dime.

[@ladywolverine1828]

We harvested 18 lbs of blackberries this year. 👍👍👍💗💗💗

[@MuskratOutdoors]

That's a good haul! Good eating too.

[@virginia7191]

Just checked and found out they are "rare"in my area. I will look for them the next time I go inland. Thanks!

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Too bad. They are pretty tasty!

[@huntarama9375]

yea its in the blood. Even though Im not short of money I still found it hard to walk past a free feed. For years we had a small income and mortgages to pay and kids to educate and we lived like kings and could still afford overseas trips because we were-not spending $400.00 a week on grocery,s.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

You bet! If I was a millionaire, the only thing that would change, is that I would have more time for things like this! Money or not, I enjoy it and would still do it.

[@bulldaniels3870]

I heard that place hasn't stopped shaking since that earthquake you had. Are you still have earthquakes ?

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Lots of smaller ones. There is a web site about Idaho Earthquakes I watch every day. There is one almost everyday about 2 points or so. Most are South of us more in Southern Idaho.

[@GrampyCampy]

Your berries get bigger then my neighbors do, but yep they are very good free food we love that kind of food! Just cost the energy to pick them come August sept right in there I will be picking wild blackberries too, took my grandkids to pick wild raspberries yesterday of course none made it home they ate them all, raspberries are my favorites!

[@MuskratOutdoors]

HA! Yeah, we have that problem of them not making it home too. We don't have blackberries here, I miss the berries, but not the barb wire vines! Oregon & Washington had blackberries as big as your thumb, and really tasty! My Mom had a cocker spaniel that lost an eye chasing a cat through blackberry vines.

[@GrampyCampy]

Muskrat Outdoors oh my doggy I know they are wicked and hurt my legs and arms are always messed up from them!

[@MuskratOutdoors]

@@GrampyCampy Not good!

[@Faithledliving]

Great video I agree got to do what you can to get away from people me and my wife grew up the same way garden picking what we could and still do live that way good looking dogs had to put my healer down couple months ago he was 15 he was a good dog really good on cows thanks for the video God bless

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Very sorry to hear that. Loosing a dog is tough. Our dog Hager, the black male here, died in his sleep from lung cancer January 17th. He was also about 15 I think.

[@Faithledliving]

@@MuskratOutdoors Sorry to hear that. yeah it is super hard my dog has been in more states than most people from when I was rodeoing and guiding hunts and working on some ranches. God bless

[@beaverural]

I greet you. In Russia, such berries are also very common. We call them IRGA. They are very fond of children and birds that do not leave a single chance to pick them. Today I saw several of these bushes with hundreds of blackbirds eating berries. You have very beautiful mountains. you are lucky to live in a place like this!

[@ImixSpb]

Здесь под Питером, каринка, она же ирга, практически не растёт. По крайне мере мне она ни разу не попадалась на глаза. Я минут 15 пытался понять что означают все эти Service, June, Saskatoon berries )))

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Thank you! It is neat to know the same plants are in Russia too! The birds get these if you aren't quick too. If you wait until they are 100% ripe....it's too late!

[@terrymacleod6882]

i know a spot where you can stand on the hood of my truck and pick. although i see you could use a firemans ladder.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Some of the bushes are really big!

[@kengamble8595]

Yes sir, you do live in a great place! If I had that kinda stuff around me I'd be out there gathering it up too! Food that you've put some effort into getting it most always taste better to me! 😊 Thanks for sharing and take care. 👍

[@MuskratOutdoors]

It does! There is a certain amount of pride that go's along with "doing it yourself" that you don't get from buying something in the store. Besides, it's fun to just get out and do it.

[@strugglingbeekeepermarkcot9642]

Great video I never heard of them I don’t know if we have those here in West Virginia. I was in Idaho last week my dad and brother and I went to Yellowstone park and to Glacier park. And we drove into Idaho.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

I bet you do have them, but they might be more of a Western plant? I haven't been to those parks in a long time. Both are really pretty. With the Zombie Virus, were they crowded? My Sister is planning on a Yellowstone trip late August.

[@strugglingbeekeepermarkcot9642]

Muskrat Outdoors it was crowded at old faithful. But the other places we went it wasn’t to bad. I sure enjoyed it out there I couldn’t get over how big it is out there.

[@cpk4772]

🇺🇸👍👍👍👍🇺🇸

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Thanks!

[@cutarecutarescu]

Where is this? To me they taste like grapes + cherries + an aftertaste of almons as I crush the seeds. :)

[@MuskratOutdoors]

I agree. Idaho.

[@cutarecutarescu]

@@MuskratOutdoors It's a relatively new plant here (in Romania). I planted specific varieties in my yard and in outside pots and I love the shrubs! It seemed they were introduced into Germany as an ornamental from North America a while ago - there it's quite a freqwent plant and now it also grows into the wild. :)

[@MuskratOutdoors]

@@cutarecutarescu Wow. I have heard you could buy these. They are wild here. Thank you for your comment. It's fun finding out things, and talking with people from different countries.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

@@cutarecutarescu Idaho, USA

[@GrampyCampy]

Yep those are good beeries

[@MuskratOutdoors]

They are!

[@solobushman]

We may live in different ends of the continent but our lifestyles are extremely close. Just discovered those berries in my back yard along the brook after being here for 16 years. Go figure. Yep those newbies who got this surviving thing figured out should have asked our grandparents about it when they had to survive for real. My grandfather born in 1895- 1980 ya want to know about surviving. Thanks for the video and it's a beautiful place you live..

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Ain't that the truth! Back then, everyone did that sort of thing and thought nothing of it. Now it's been re-discovered and "cool"! Have you been picking yours? I'm looking forward to service berry pancakes this winter.

[@solobushman]

@@MuskratOutdoors no sir nothing ripe here yet only strawberries , sometime in August. On a positive note about it though, the younger bunch are finally getting it. They must learn to live off the land. ( the future don't look so bright). In my opinion.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

@@solobushman ​ I agree. It don't look to good. My brother is 100% opposite of me....vegetarian, non-hunter. You would think he would know wild edible plants, but he doesn't. He has the attitude "Why? You can get it from the store". I hope food shortages with this Zombie Virus has opened his eyes a little. He wouldn't admit to it if it has. I am glad to see younger folks getting back to some of the "old ways" of canning and such. Too much will die out without interest to keep it alive. The berries seem early this year, but I suppose it's not. Hard to believe it is almost August already! I really like the choke cherries, but they come ripe in August during our Fair when I'm too busy with work to get them before the birds do. If I'm lucky, we get some left overs!

[@solobushman]

@@MuskratOutdoors when s h t fan your brother will get awful skinny in a hurry. Lol . 2 years ago I did a lot of choke cherries but last year the birds had a feast and me, not so much..I won't get any this year as I'll be heading across Canada tomorrow and if the boarders are open later I'll be heading your way by Christmas.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

@@solobushman Idaho? If you do, look me up! [e-mail]

[@sandiam7809]

Awsome!

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Thanks! Tasty too!

[@fredthorne9692]

Haa, survivalists. If staying away from people and eating food that God gave for free, SIGN ME UP. After seeing the size of that giant bush, I'd call them Big Ass Berries. I remember this time of year, the blueberries would be canned by now. Tomatoes would start ripening, squash was big, pole beans were put up, corn was just about ready, pumpkins would be thinned out to get really big ones for pies during the holidays. The kitchen stove always had a five gallon pot with water ready to boil and sterilize and oh brother, it was hot and humid. My uncle Chuck made wine out of concord and Muscat grapes from his arbor, but I swear he added high octane to it, cause it kicked like a cow in a patch of thistles. Oh, now we don't have to do all of that since we have reliable commercial enterprises. 😂😂😂👍👍👍 Yeah, my eye!

[@MuskratOutdoors]

It is kind of funny, ain't it Fred? This used to be normal...just what folks everywhere did.....now we are survivalists! Ha! Cindy has tomatoes this year that are so big and heavy, they are falling off the vine green. Ever had green tomato pie? Sounds bad, but it tastes exactly like apple pie!

[@itsamysticlife3500]

@@MuskratOutdoors Green tomato pie? Never heard of it, but I would love to try it. May I have that recipe?

[@fredthorne9692]

@@MuskratOutdoors Yup, I remember green 'maters from church pot luck dinners. Green tomato chutney, relish, fried (nothing to do with the movie whatever that was). Eggplant was fried and everybody called it a "poor man's oyster." With ketchup and horseradish, whoooo, buddy!!!!

[@MuskratOutdoors]

@@itsamysticlife3500 She isn't home right now. I'll ask her if I'm wrong, but I think she just substitutes the apples for green tomatoes. The first time she made it I thought "That sounds terrible" but it tastes exactly the same. The texture might be slightly different, but close enough you probably couldn't tell the difference blindfolded. Another one I had never heard of is oatmeal pie. One of the hunters I was guiding brought one up to camp. It's the same as pecan pie, only oatmeal instead of the pecans. From what I read about it, during the Civil War, pecans were hard to come by, so they used dry oatmeal instead. It's really good!

[@MuskratOutdoors]

@@fredthorne9692 HA! I never liked eggplant! It ain't edible! I guess if there was enough horseradish....

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

Our bushes of service or June berry are much much shorter than those. Ours only reach three or four feet high at least the ones locally. They grow in the same type places here that you show there.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

That's interesting. I wonder why? Just a different type of the same plant maybe?

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

@@MuskratOutdoors Yeah that's probably the case I'm guessing.

[@cutarecutarescu]

There are dosens of subspecies - some have pointy sharp leaves some rounded leaves. Some grow to be trees, some bushes, etc. Amelanchier family.

[@IdahoHillbilly]

That was Great! We are Lucky enough to have service berries, Choke Cherries, Currents, Elder Berries and Tons of wild Plums right here on the Crick Bottom 😁👍

[@MuskratOutdoors]

We don't have the plumbs except for one old homestead that was a stagecoach stop at one time. I think the bears killed most of those climbing after the plumbs though. We didn't get many choke cherries last year. I hope we get more this year. The elder berries are latter, so we will get those.

[@thecamocowboyoutdoors5693]

Beautiful nature! That's where I like to spend my time as well Brother. I have no TV programming. We have lots of those berries as well. This seems to be a very good year for them. About another week before they will be purple here. We call them Saskatoon berries. Best wishes to you and Cindy!

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Best wishes to you and your family as well! Thank you! It seems to be a good year for them here too. We had a lot of rain this Spring. If we let them get 100% ripe, the birds get them all. They are mostly ripe now, but not quite.