Elderberries:<\/strong> Elderberry harvest season is fairly short, from mid-August to mid-September, depending upon your region (this is certainly the season near my home in Southern Oregon). These tiny berries grow in clusters that are a bear to pick, but they are well worth the effort!<\/p>\n Best used for:<\/strong> make an elderberry jam to spread on toast all winter long.<\/p>\n Blackberries:<\/strong> Depending on where you live in the Northwest, some blackberry harvests will be at the very end of August, but at higher elevations, the season can extend into fall. Look for thorny blackberry bushes near streams, or climbing up the sides of remote fences (be sure to ask permission before foraging on private property). Bring sturdy hiking boots and protective clothing, as scratches are a guarantee if your skin is exposed while picking.<\/p>\n Best used for:<\/strong> freezing to use in smoothies and in muffins.<\/p>\n Quick Tip<\/b>: September is the start of hunting seasons in most states. Check your local Game Department for exact season dates and make sure everyone in your foraging party wears a hunter orange hat and vest to unsure their safety.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Wild apples:<\/strong> Sometimes called crabapples, wild apples grow in abundance in Washington State, but you can find them in many other states as well. You never quite know what you\u2019re going to get with wild apples, which can range from sweet to barely editable. The key is to get to them before the wild birds do.<\/p>\n Best used for:<\/strong> pie baking and apple cobbler making.<\/p>\n GREAT FORAGING RESOURCES<\/b>:<\/p>\n The following are my favorite resources for foraging outside of my home region.<\/p>\n If you live in the Northeast read: Northeast Foraging: 120 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Beach Plums to Wineberries<\/em><\/p>\n If you live in the Midwest read: Midwest Foraging: 115 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Burdock to Wild Peach<\/em><\/p>\n For Backyard Foraging read: Backyard Foraging: 65 Familiar Plants You Didn\u2019t Know You Could Eat<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n If you live in the South read: Stalking the South\u2019s Wild Edibles<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Juniper Berries:<\/strong> aren\u2019t actually berries at all, but rather a type of pine cone found east of the Cascade range, for the most part. I\u2019ve found them in Central Oregon, and I know that some Oregon distilleries use local juniper berries in their wares.<\/p>\n Best used for:<\/strong> tea and\u2026you guessed it\u2026gin! Make your own infused winter gin! Find juniper berries east of the Cascades range. I\u2019ve found them in central Oregon.<\/p>\n Quick Tip<\/b>: Not sure where to start? Check out an urban foraging park, such as Seattle\u2019s Beacon Food Forest, located inside Jefferson Park. Here, you\u2019ll be educated on what you can forage and eat\u2026then take the knowledge into the wild.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Mountain Huckleberries:<\/strong> Found in the northern part of the Pacific Northwest, huckleberries are in abundance in mid-summer. In early fall, you\u2019ll still see their close cousin, the Mountain Huckleberry, at higher elevation in Northern Idaho, Washington State, and British Columbia (among other locales). Look for them along hiking trails near the treeline.<\/p>\n Best used for:<\/strong>\u00a0huckleberries make a great addition to a vanilla ice cream shake, or on top of pancakes. Fold huckleberries into just about any baked goods, actually.<\/p>\n Quick Tip<\/b>: Go farther north to Alaska, and you can add salmonberries to the list, along with blueberries and thimbleberries.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Dulse<\/strong> \u2013 This red-hued seaweed is common throughout the Pacific Northwest shorelines and is among the tastiest. If you live near a coast, harvest Dulse by removing only parts of the clump, for conservation\u2019s sake, and always wash three times or more in cold water before using. You can also harvest kelp (particularly forest kelp), throughout coastal Pacific Northwest.<\/p>\n Best used for:<\/strong> add to soups or atop salads.<\/p>\n Oyster mushrooms:<\/strong> In western Washington, oyster mushrooms are often found growing on dead or dying alders. On the east side of the Cascade Range, you will more often see oyster mushrooms on dead or dying cottonwood trees. The key to finding them: look on downed logs.<\/p>\n Best used for:<\/strong> saut\u00e9e in garlic and butter, or make a risotto.<\/p>\n Golden chanterelle mushrooms:<\/strong> Chanterelles grow in conifer and oak forests (think lower elevations). You\u2019ll need to look in an area with mossy growth under your boots. They\u2019ll be growing through October, so they\u2019re great to forage after the spring morel season is over. Look for mushrooms with a funnel shape, that have a solid stem. They\u2019ll grow in groups and near trees. Note: Jack-o-Lantern mushrooms are toxic, and grow where there might not be trees.<\/p>\n Best used for:<\/strong> soups and stews.<\/p>\n The California King Bolete mushroom:<\/strong> this mushroom grows in the woods in California and Oregon. You won\u2019t find them near trees, and they are distinct by their sponge-like tubed surface on the underside of their cap. These bad boys can get very large, and can be foraged in September, October and November.<\/p>\n Best used for:<\/strong> any recipe that calls for a \u2018meaty\u2019 mushroom; grill them like steaks!<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn-step.americantowns.com\/img\/article\/fall-foraging-3.jpg\")
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