Time for a little patriotic cheer leading. I was moved, by a spate of recent online posts on the so-called Juneberry, to present an overview of the wondrous qualities of what we, in the Great White North, call the Saskatoon Berry…
All my life, my Mom has lamented the fact that her childhood favourite fruit – the Saskatoon berry – is all but unknown east of the Lakehead. It was, decades ago, and remains a prairie staple. But its closest doppleganger, the blueberry, reigns supreme in Eastern and Maritime Canada.
Marketing propaganda
It’s largely a matter of marketing propaganda that the Saskatoon has not been more appreciated in the east. The blueberry growers have traditionally come second only to the New England and Can-adian Maritime cranberry pushers in advertising and promo efforts for their flagship fruit.
Maybe we can do at least a little today, to make up for what we’ll charitably call the abiding ‘lack of consumer awareness’…
By any other name…
Never heard of the Saskatoon berry? It could well go by another name where you live. In fact, Wiki-pedia lists no fewer than 25 varieties of the plant, and a dozen different names under which it is known.
It’s official scientific name is Amelanchier. Of which, Wkipedia tells us, the most popular variety is A. alnifolia, found from, “Alaska across most of western Canada and in the western and north-central United States.”
But it’s also known as the shadbush, shadwood or shadblow; the serviceberry or sarvisberry (or just sarvis); juneberry; sugarplum; wild-plum; and chuckley pear.
A powerhouse superfood!
You may find it hard, at first, to grasp how nutritious and beneficial the Saskatoon berry is. Some will find the wonders claimed for it believable. But every fact I quote in this post is backed by science.
According to Daily Wrap, Saskatoon berries are rich in a pantryful of good things:
“They contain anthocyanins and flavonols. Anthocyanins are responsible for the blue-purple colour of the berries and have antioxidant effects. They protect against oxidative stress and thus help pre-vent [a plethora of] diseases, including cancers. Antioxidants […] soothe inflammations, slow the aging process, lower high cholesterol levels, and regulate blood glucose levels.
“It is worth adding that [A. alnifolia] fruits contain four times more potassium and seven times more calcium and iron than blueberries. Moreover, [A. alnifolia] berries are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, fibre, and minerals. [They] support the immune system, helping fight infections, and […] can posi-tively affect the heart and circulatory system.”
What’s holding us back?
You’d think that the social media ‘wires’ would be aflame about the Saskatoon berry. That it would be top of mind with physicians, dieticians and nutritionists. That everone in the ‘healthy eating’ sphere would be talking about it. But that’s definitely not the case.
The problem is, these reddish-purple wonderfruits are gathered mainly from the wild. And the rela-tively few folks who cultivate them don’t produce enough to meet the demands of a mass market. In fact, according to Agriculture Manitoba, only a couple of commercial customers in that whole pro-vince buy them, to process for local and regional resale.
I’ve seen Saskatoon berry jams and jellies, and dried berries for sale on the internet. And at a few local specialty food ’boutiques’. However, the supply is anything but reliable, and the prices are sky high.
My take
A few months back, I found some Saskatoon berry jam while was strolling the stands at a Christmas Gift and Crafts show. They wanted $18 for a small (albeit decorative) 6 fl. oz. / 180 ml jar.
If it hadn’t been a chance to gift Mom with her first taste of a nostalgic treat in 60 years, I would not have picked it up. On the other hand, Mom’s reaction when she opened the parcel on Christmas morning was priceless!
~ Maggie J.