Thursday, October 15, 2009

Alberta Natives

This weekend I was flipping through a tree and shrub guide to the prairies and came across the following jaw-dropping native species:
  • beaked hazelnut
  • American hazelnut
  • American highbush cranberry
Kevin Kossowan has blogged a bit about wild highbush cranberries around Edmonton here.

Seriously: why aren't our farmers' markets awash with Alberta cranberries? Why isn't my street lined with hazelnuts?

Also listed as natives were two species of juniper: the creeping and the Rocky Mountain. Wikipedia suggests that the berries of these junipers are too bitter for human consumption, but I'd like to judge that for myself (as long as they aren't poisonous).
Classically, juniper berries are used to flavour game marinades, pork, sauerkraut, and spirits. Seems like they'd fit into the Alberta culinary landscape well...

2 comments:

  1. "Seriously: why aren't our farmers' markets awash with Alberta cranberries? Why isn't my street lined with hazelnuts?"

    Did you find out the answer?

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  2. They haven't been formally domesticated like, say, saskatoons. If they were at the farmers' market, they would have to be foraged. I suspect that berry foragers would have a hard time staying competitive with berry farmers.

    Why exactly these plants haven't been domesticated is beyond me.

    Alberta hazelnuts would probably have a hard time competing with nuts from British Columbia.

    I'm just speculating, mind you. I have no idea what the economics are like.

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