Interesting information about our product sources

Interesting information about our product sources:

Blue Elderberry:

North American elderberry
Botanical name: Sambucus nigra

The berries of blue elderberry may be safely consumed and are used to make jams, jellies, pies, syrup, and wines.
The seeds contain miniscule amount of hydrocyanic acid, so one must thoroughly cook the berries and then strain out the seeds
The ingestion of too much of this acid can lead to mild cyanide poisoning.
The leaves and bark contain the highest concentration of this chemical and should not be eaten.

Historical or traditional use Elderberries have long been used as food, particularly in the dried form.
Elderberry wine, pie, and lemonade are some of the popular ways to prepare this plant as food. The leaves were touted by European herbalists to be pain relieving and to promote healing of injuries when applied as a poultice.
Native American herbalists used the plant for infections, coughs, and skin conditions.

Only blue/black Elderberry flowers and berries are medicinal. The species of Red Elderberries have no medicinal value.

Elderberry has been used in connection with the following conditions:
Influenza, Cold sores, Common cold/sore throat Infection, Inflammation.

What's in Elderberry:
Elderberries contain high concentrations of vitamins A and C(only rose hips and currents are higher), B complex, calcium, phosphorous and potassium.
Medicinal products containing elderberry include throat lozenges and cough syrup.
A number of important compounds are found in elderberry, the most important being anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants that protect cells against damage according to test tube studies.
Flavonoids, including quercetin, are believed to account for the therapeutic actions of the elderberry flowers and berries.

According to laboratory research, an extract from the leaves, combined with St. John’s wort and soapwort, inhibits the influenza virus and herpes simplex virus.
The effect on influenza of a syrup made from the berries of the black elderberry has been studied in a small double-blind trial.
People receiving an elderberry extract (2 tablespoons [30 ml] per day for children, 4 tablespoons [60 ml] per day for adults) appeared to recover faster than did those receiving a placebo. Animal studies have shown the flowers to have anti-inflammatory properties. How much is usually taken?
A syrup of black elderberry extract (1 teaspoon–1 tablespoon [5–15 ml] for children, 2 teaspoons–2 tablespoons [10–30 ml] for adults) can be taken twice daily. A tea made from 1/2–1 teaspoon (3–5 grams) of the dried flowers steeped in 1 cup (250 ml) boiling water for ten to fifteen minutes may be drunk three times per day.

More good information about Elderberries on the web

Plants in Peril: Hard Times for Blue Elderberries
Elderberry Sambucus a local forgotten medicinal?
Information on elderberry supplement and juice

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Hawthorn berries:

Botanical name: Crataegus oxyacanthas (also called Crataegus laevigata and Crataegus monogyna)
Family: Rosaceae (rose)
Other common names: Crataegus, English Hawthorn, Mayflower, May Bush, Mayblossom, Quickset, May Tree, Whitethorn, Thorn-apple Tree, Quickthorn

Local natives refer to these berries as bear berries. First off there are those thorns. Than inside is full of seeds, the pulp has to mushed through the strainer to separate the seeds (about 30%).
The berries are not juicy like other berries, and the texture when eaten is more like mash potatoes. Simply natives in these parts have not found any real purpose for them, like pie making, or making wine.

Since the 19th century Hawthorne berries have been used to support the heart, and to maintain cardiovascular functions.
In Europe, it is one of the most popular herbs today and is growing in popularity in the United States. Hawthorne berry helps support the arterial walls, can dilate (enlarge) coronary blood vessels (the vessels supplying the heart with vital oxygen, blood, and nutrients), and strengthens the heart's pumping ability. Hawthorne berry can also be used to help with weight loss. It can help reduce water retention by expelling excess salt from the body. This herb can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels, and aid digestion. It can also be used to support joint lining, collagen, and spinal discs.

We produce Hawthorn puree from ancient recipes, one can be used and condiment for meats, the other as a tasty desert.

More good information about Hawthorn on the web

About Hawthorn
Herbal Information Center - Hawthorn
Herb Almanac
Hawthorn Berry Benefits

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Soopolallie
Botanical: Shepherdia canadensis
Other names: Soapberry, Canada buffaloberry, Russet buffaloberry, Canadian buffalo cherry, Rabbit-berry and foamberry

The name Soopolallie is from the Chinook language for soap (soop) and berry (olallie)
Raw berries are bitter. Bears and grouse eat them in the fall. In western states the shrub is grazed by buffaloes - hence the name buffaloberry.
Male and female flowers are produced on separate plants. The fruits are small, soft, bright red berries that are oval and somewhat translucent. They are juicy and edible but extremely bitter and soapy to touch.
Food
Soopolallie was widely used as food by coastal and interior First Peoples of British Columbia.
Like many interior peoples, the Thompson people used large quantities of these fruits, not eaten whole,
but whipped into a salmon-colored froth now called Indian Ice-cream
Thompson people usually gathered these berries in late July. They were not hand picked as the berries are too small and soft, but were harvested by holding the end of a berry-laden branch in one hand and hitting the taut branch with a stick causing the small, soft berries to fall onto a clean mat that was placed beneath. The berries were eaten fresh, dried for later use or boiled into a syrup and then dried as a cake.
The berries are an excellent source of vitamin C and iron.
Medicine
Soopolallie was also known for its medicinal properties. The berries have been used to treat the flu and indigestion, and as a tea, for relieving constipation. The juice was said to be good for acne, boils, digestive problems and gallstones. A tea made from the bark was used to treat eye troubles, and the twigs boiled to make a laxative tea. A boiled decoction of twigs when cooled was used to treat dandruff by the Thompson people
Dena’ina use to treat tuberculosis and wash cuts and swellings.
Warning
Soopolallie berries contain a bitter, soapy substance called saponin that can cause diarrhea, vomiting and cramps if taken in large quantities
Soopolallie shrubs can be purchased through specialist nurseries or can be propagated from summer cuttings. It does well in a low-care garden situation planted in shallow, coarse, well-drained soils. It is necessary to have male and female plants to produce berries.
Other Uses
The soapy berries were crushed or boiled and used as soap. The Thompson people used to use it as an internal and external cleanser. The hunters would boil a decoction of the berries and drink it and cleanse themselves and their gear to bring them luck in hunting and fishing. Soopolallie berries were, and continue to be, a valued item of trade among Native people; they are especially valued as gifts.

More good information about Soapberry on the web

Canada_Buffaloberry
Russet Buffaloberry

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Black raspberries

Botanical: Rubus occidentalis
Other names: Blackcapss

Early in this century, black raspberries were just as popular as red raspberries. And no wonder! This jet black bramble, sometimes called a blackcap, has a rich, sweet taste. The berries are firm and not overly juicy. When you eat them fresh, their texture is a little thicker than red raspberries or blackberries. Their firmness also helps the fruit resist rotting better than other brambles, either on the plant or in your refrigerator.
Pie filling, Jams and Jellies, syrup, wine, beer, no limit to uses.

More good information about Blackcaps on the web

Blackcap brambles
Wild Black Raspberry
History of Raspberry plants
Rubus occidentalis
Field Guide to Medicinal Wild Plants

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Saskatoon berries

Botanical: Amelanchier alnifolia
Other names: Serviceberry, Juneberry, Shad-bush, Shadblow

Juicy, blueberry-like fruits produced on very hardy trees. The berries, which are darker and larger than blueberries, are easy to pick and make great pies, pancakes, puddings, muffins, jams, jellies, sauces, chocolates, syrups and wine
First Nations peoples of North America used Saskatoon berries for producing pemmican. The berries were pounded into buffalo meat and then dried to create dried meat not unlike beef jerky.
What is in it:
The Saskatoon Berry has nutritional properties that are significantly higher in protein, fat, fiber, calcium, magnesium, manganese, barium, and aluminum then the Blueberry, and are lower in phosphorus and sulfur. There is no significant difference in iron, zinc, sodium and carotene in Saskatoons as compared to blueberries.
Saskatoons are also a source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
Medicinal uses:
Saskatoon juice was used to relieve upset stomach. Green or dried berries were used to make eye drops. Root tea was taken to prevent miscarriage.
Warnings:
The leaves and pits contain small amounts of poisonous cyanide-like compounds, but cooking or drying destroys these compounds.
Other Uses:
The hard, strong branches were used to make arrows. The wood is brown, hard, close-grained, and heavy. The wood can be used for fishing rods, tool handles and similar wood objects. Saskatoons are excellent ornamental shrubs and are very hardy as well as beautiful. They produce beautiful fall colors and edible berries which makes them a popular backyard landscaping choice.

More good information about Saskatoon berries on the web

Herbal resources

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Chokecherry

Botanical: Prunus virginiana L
Black choke cherry
Other names: Black cherry
Other variety: Red choke cherry

There are 2 kinds of Choke cherries - Black and Red. Black variety has bigger berries Both variety fruit is used to make jellies and jams. Chokecherry provided a staple for Native American tribes. The pulp and kernels of the fruit were ground together and made into patties or balls. This ground product could also be combined with buffalo meat and fat to make pemmican. The fruits were also dried. The bark can be used as a tea.
Medicinal uses:
Native American tribes made use of both the bark and fruits of chokecherry in medicinal preparations. For example, chokecherry juice was used to treat sore throat and diarrhea. Tea made from the bark was used as a cold remedy. Tea made from chokecherry roots was used as a sedative and stomach remedy. The bark has been used as a flavoring for cough syrups.
The chokecherry shrub has been used for fevers, agues, hetic fever, dyspepsia, lumbar abscess, chronic asthma, hysteria, cough medicine, bronchitis, scrofula, and heart palpitations
Red choke cherry

Note: Prussic (hydrocyanic) acid is found in the bark, leaves and pits of chokecherry.
The Prussic acid in chokecherry pits is neutralized by boiling or drying.

Chokecherry is widely regarded as an important wildlife food plant and provides habitat watershed protection and species diversity. Fruits leaves and twigs are utilized. Large mammals including bears moose coyotes bighorn sheep pronghorn elk and deer use chokecherry as browse. Chokecherry is also a food source for small mammals. The fruits are important food for many birds.
Cattle and domestic sheep also eat chokecherry and because of its toxicity poisoning sometimes occurs.
Livestock normally do not eat fatal quantities except when other forage is scarce.

More good information about Chokecherries on the web

Chokecherry uses by different native tribes
Choke cherry - Edible and Medicinal plant
Nutraceutical Properties of Cherries

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Indian celery

Botanical:
Other names: Tsoweta
This much thought after wild growing plant is used by First nations people as a kind of spinach when picked young, eaten raw or cooked.
Great source of vitamins and iron.
Older leaves are dried, and used to make tea, or used as spice in soups and rice. Seeds are sometimes collected and are used for making tea.
This plant does grow in patches, and is hard to find. Matures fast, so for harvesting young leaves you have about 10 days per year in specific location.
Seeds take all summer to dry enough to be picked, one day still green, the next you look they are gone by the wind.

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Matsutake

Botanical: Tricholoma Matsutake
Other names: Pine mushrooms

Matsutake grow under trees and are usually concealed under fallen leaves and/or the duff layer. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the roots of a limited number of tree species. In Japan it is most commonly associated with Japanese Red Pine.
However in the Pacific Northwest it is found in coniferous forests made up of one or more of the following: Douglas Fir, Noble Fir, Shasta Fir, Sugar Pine, Ponderosa Pine and Lodge Pole Pine. Further south, it is also associated with hardwoods, namely Tanoak and Madrone forests. The Pacific Northwest and other similar temperate regions along the Pacific Rim also hold great habitat producing these and other quality wild mushrooms.

Pine mushrooms

The main recipes for Matsutake are Matsutake soup, Matsutake rice, grilled Matsutake, etc. Their magnificently spicy aroma, similar to a blend of pine and cinnamon, enhances wild mushroom dishes and makes great recipes. The aroma lasts even after it is cooked. Be warned, the flavor is as intense as the aroma and can be a little overwhelming.

The Matsutake mushroom is high in protein, low in fat and rich in vitamins B1, B2, and D, and is believed to have many beneficial health properties.

More good information about Pine mushrooms on the web

Medicinal mushrooms
Matsutake - wild mushrooms
Pine mushroom pictures
introduction to Matsutake

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Wild grapes

Botanical:
Other names:

More good information about wild fox grapes on the web

Wild fox grapes pictures
Wild Concord grapes

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Wild Sockeye salmon

Other names:

More good information about Wild Sockeye salmon on the web

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Wild Rose

Wild rose petals, leaves and rose hips are used in a variety of ways. The petals are used to make jelly, jam, cake, lemonade, herbal tea, cough drops, yoghurt, vinegar, liquor, butter and desserts of all kinds. The petals can also be eaten fresh in salads or as snacks. Wild rose hips, which are as interesting for their vitamin content as for their taste, are used to make jam. They can also be used to make a flavorful wine. It is advisable to remove the seeds and hair from rose hips, as they might cause irritation.
Some people might not like the tart flavor of rose hips (the large reddish orange bulbous part of the plant which contain the seeds); but they are incredibly high in Vitamin C.
By eating just three hips you can consume the same amount of Vitamin C as is contained in an entire orange. The hips are high in many other vitamins, too.
Medicinal
The most commonly used part of the plant for its medicinal properties is the fruit (rose hip), although the petals are also used. Rich in vitamin C, wild rose hips prevent cold and flu. They are also said to contain useful antioxidants, and are claimed to have anti-carcinogenic properties. Rose hip tonic is well-known to herbalists, and their astringency helps fight mucous inflammation (i.e. of the throat or eyes). Leaf and rose hip herbal teas are used to treat diarrhea, and are also mild diuretics. The petals help close skin pores and make skin firmer. There is a strong demand for wild rose essential oil in aroma therapy.

More good information about Wild roses on the web

Rose hip
Native foods - Wild roses
About Wild roses

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