Day 146

Oregon Grape

August 19th, 2010



I had read that these berries are edible, though very sour, so I tried one. I spit it out immediately. I did some further reading, and found that it takes a frost or two (which increases the fructose content) to make the berries palatable.


14 Comments

  1. Gigi says:

    They look good though, so pretty in blue.

  2. Melinda, PA says:

    the grapes of wrath…

  3. Dorinda from Mentor, Oh. says:

    Yes they make for a pretty shot. To bad the taste wasn’t as good as it looks.

  4. Don in Tennessee says:

    Did you see Cleopatra?

  5. Carole says:

    These plants are great to landscape your property if you have deer that eat virtually everything, because they won’t eat this plant!! They sure are pretty when they are “in bloom” though …

    Glad to see you are nearing the finish of your trek. We would love to see you down here on the Central Coast of California!!

  6. Belle Zora says:

    Never found them palatable at any stage, but after a frost combine them with sugar and pectin for a good jelly. You have to strain the mixture, though, because they aren’t so good as jam.

  7. Jeff says:

    Good thing you read them directions fully before trying. So before double frost they rank with that RED BEer stuff we are all so found (not) of……

    Great blue color’s though

  8. Bev in Vancouver WA says:

    They may not taste good, the roots do make a lovely yellow dye.

  9. Tna says:

    Maybe they are like persimmons in the tart department, they also need a shock of cold frost to get the tannins out. They are a pretty blue though.

  10. MN Roxanne says:

    Love this blue! beautiful close- up Matt

  11. PLEASE NOTE! IT IS OREGON’S STATE FLOWER! It has lovely yellow flowers until the berries come on. Birds love them more than people, I think!

    So, while I am at it:

    Oregon State Flower: Oregon Grape
    Oregon State Bird: Western Meadow Lark
    State Tree: Douglas Fir
    State Animal: Beaver

    Maybe, with luck, Matt will see all of these things.

  12. Janine says:

    I’m so duh, I thought it was actually a grape.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon-grape

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