10 Canadian Berries and How to Use Them

Posted by Dan Clapson on March 2, 2017

When you think of Canadian food, things like maple syrup, East Coast lobster, B.C. salmon and Alberta beef likely come to mind. While Canada is known for some great regional cuisine, there’s a wide variety of ingredients we use across Canada. Although they might not be available fresh year-round, berries are one of those homegrown foods Canadians enjoy most of all. Here are 11 different Canadian-grown berries — some common and others not as much — plus how you can use them in your own kitchen.

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Currants

Being a plant that can survive through harsh winter seasons, black, red and white currants (of which gooseberries are also a relative) are similar berries that grow easily and plentifully across the country. When cooked down to a sauce or jam, the pleasantly tart, dark berries are a match made in heaven for all sorts of sweet and savoury dishes; from barbecued chicken to vanilla panna cotta. This berry also takes a real shine to liquor, being the star ingredient in award-winning Canadian Crème de Cassis as well as craft cider. A word to the wise: Do not mistake the dried currants on grocery store shelves as black currants, as they’re actually a type of raisin.
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Cloudberry

Look up. Look way, way up to the Canadian north or far east to Newfoundland and Labrador to discover this wild berry. Depending on its level of ripeness, the cloudberry, which resembles a small raspberry stunted in growth, can offer a flavour that’s anywhere from fairly tart to sweet and creamy. Especially popular in Nordic cuisine, countries like Poland and Norway typically use them in a jam to top an array of desserts or pancakes.
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Huckleberry

Head to interior B.C. to find this berry at the height of the summer season. Its appearance is similar to a highbush blueberry, but you’ll find it’s slightly more juicy, tart and boasts more seeds inside. If you’re lucky enough to find them fresh at a market, use them in a pie or crumble in combination with some other Okanagan-grown fruit like pears or apples. With a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, of course!
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Blueberry (Highbush and Lowbush)

Not uncommon by any means, Canada offers two main varieties of blueberries that are primarily grown in British Columbia and Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia’s lowbush variety are typically sweeter than their highbush counterparts, and are available in fresh form earlier in the season. Outside of their growing seasons, both varieties are widely available frozen or dried. Naturally, blueberries make for a perfect pie or tart filling, but if you’re willing to be a little adventurous in the kitchen, try cooking down frozen blueberries with red wine, rosemary and a touch of salt to make a compote that pairs perfectly with beef or pork.
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Highbush Cranberry

These highbush “cranberries” that grow in drier climates have no relation to the standard cranberry, which grows in beds of bogs and marshes — aside from having a similar colour and shape, though smaller in size. You’ll find plenty of these bushes in the wild across the country, and many greenhouses sell baby versions of the berry that you can plant in your own backyard. The berry itself is quite tart and best when cooked, sweetened and used as a condiment on game meats or in jams and jellies.
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Mulberry

When fresh in the summer, this beautifully sweet berry is one of the tastiest varieties you can get your hands on. With colours ranging from light pink to deep, ruby red, these berries resemble elongated blackberries, and can be used in any application you would raspberries. Fun fact: The childhood song ‘Pop Goes the Weasel’ references a mulberry bush, but in reality, mulberries grow on trees.
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Sea Buckthorn

Incredibly tart, sunshine-bright in colour and superpower-packed with vitamin C and other antioxidants, these tangy little orange berries are popular in healthy cooking and beyond. Due to the prickly tree branches they’re grown on, picking them in the wild isn’t much fun, so head to a farmers’ market where they grow readily in Saskatchewan and Newfoundland or specialty food shops found frozen or in juice, oil or preserved form. If you do find some fresh, they add a nice texture to summer salads due to the big crunchy seed in the middle and make a unique simple syrup to amp up drinks like sangria, margaritas or just plain old lemonade. Frozen, they're best tossed in a muffin or cake mix for some brightness.
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Saskatoon Berry

Don't let this berry’s name fool you. Although it’s grown on farms and readily available in and around Saskatoon, these bushes are much more widespread in the wild in B.C. and Alberta. Its flavour profile is that of a much more fibrous blueberry, and thus requires additional cooking liquid (usually juice or a combination of water and sugar) when using it to make jams or compotes. Most grocery stores will stock Saskatoon berry syrup, a delicious alternative to maple syrup on homemade pancakes or waffles. Pick up a bag of dried berries and add them to trail mix, overnight oats and leafy green salads.
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Haskap

Out of all the berries on this list, the haskap (also referred to as honeyberry or honeysuckle) is one whose popularity has been on the rise. Though wild bushes grow in many provinces across Canada, especially the Prairies and on the East Coast, it wasn’t until recently the berry has been made available in a consumer format. The flavour of a haskap is comparable to a tarter blueberry and, when fresh, can easily be used to make jam or jellies just as you would with Saskatoons and other fibrous berries. Most commonly available in dried form, they make a great addition to granola, muffins, scones and other breakfast treats. They’re also used in distilling and can be found in gin as well as liqueurs.
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Salal

Native to Western Canada, the salal berry is one that has been used for hundreds of years by indigenous people. Only grown in the wild, you’ll need to sniff around a B.C. farmers’ market or find a forager that knows the forests on the west coast to get your hands on some. The round, deep purple berry is very sweet and as such, is just as pleasant to eat fresh as it is in baked goods. Used as a pie filling or macerated with sugar to top light and airy desserts like sponge or angel food cakes. <a href="dansgoodside.com/" target="_blank">Dan Clapson</a> is a food writer and culinary instructor based out of Calgary. He is constantly creating new recipes and striving to expand his culinary horizons. He thinks yam fries are overrated.
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