BERRIES AND FRUIT

BERRIES WERE EATEN RAW WITH MEAT AND SOME WERE SUN DRIED. THEY WERE PACKED AWAY IN BASKETS AND COOKED IN ACORN CAKES. THE MAIDU MASHED AND POUNDED THEM INTO ROOTS AND MADE CAKES WRAPPED WITH LEAVES AND BAKED IN AN UNDERGROUND OVEN.

JUNIPER BERRIES, GOOSEBERRIES, BOX THORN AND ELDERBERRIES WERE COLLECTED IN CALIFORNIA.

MANZANITA BERRIES WERE OVER EATEN BY THE POMO. J. HUDSON REPORTED THIS WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR SEVERAL DEATHS. THEY WERE COLLECTED IN JULY AND PUT INTO CARRYING BASKETS. THEY COULD BE EATEN RAW OR MORE LIKELY COOKED WITH HOT ROCKS; OR GROUND AFTER DRYING; AND MOLDED INTO CAKES AND DRIED IN THE SUN. BERRIED COULD BE DRIED AND USED IN PINOLE. THE POMOS ALSO MADE A WINE WITH THE BERRIES AS WELL AS A CIDER.

GOOSEBERRY - POMO AND MIWOK ATE THEM FRESH. THEY ATE THEM FROM APRIL TO AUGUST. THEY WERE DRIED IN THE SHADE AND LATER SOAKED TO RECONSTITUTE THEM.

SALMONBERRY WERE EATEN BY THE AND BEAR RIVER PEOPLE FRESH.


WILD STRAWBERRY WERE SPIRITUAL TO THE POMO.; THE WYOT, KAROK, SALINAN AND CAHUILLA, DIEGUENO, YUKI, AND BEAR RIVER PEOPLE LOVED THEM.

RASPBERRIES WERE EATEN FRESH AND DRIED BY THE POMO FOR WINTER.

THE KAROK ATE THIMBLEBERRY DIRECTLY BY PICKING THEM.

CALIFORNIA BLACKBERRY (RUBUS VITIFOLIUS) VS. THE LARGER NON NATIVE BERRIES WERE COLLECTED BY THE KAROK, HUPA, MIWOK, SALINIAN, LUISENO AND OTHERS. THEY ATE THEM FRESH OR DRIED THEM FOR WINTER.

ELDERBERRIES WERE EATEN FRESH OR DRIED. POMO AND ATSUGEWI MASHED THE BERRIES AND MIXED THEM WITH MANZANITA FLOUR.

YOKUTS DRIED A LARGE SWEET VARIETY ON ROCKS. YOKUTS WENT HIGHER INTO THE MOUNTAINS FOR PINE NUTS. MIWOK ALWAYS COOKED ELDERBERRY. CAHILLA ATE THEM FRESH OR DRIED THEM IN CLUSTERS OR BOILED THEM IN A RICH SAUCE.

RED HUCKLEBERRY WERE EATEN IN JULY AND AUGUST BY KAROK, POMO, AND BEAR RIVER PEOPLE. THE KAROK WAITED UNTIL FALL FOR THE HUCKLEBERRIES TO BE PICKED AFTER A FROST. THIS MADE THEM SWEETER.

MADRONE BERRIES WERE ROASTED LIKE PEPPERNUTS AND PARCHED FOR THE WINTER. THE HUPA SHOOK THEM IN A BASKET WITH HOT ROCKS. THE MIWOK TREATED THEM AS HIGH GRADE MANZANITA AND MADE CIDER. KAROK STEAMED THEM. SOMETIMES THEY WERE MIXED WITH MANZANITA BERRIES.

TOYON WERE EATEN RAW OR ROASTED OVER COALS OR PARCHED IN A BASKETS BY THE POMO AND HUPA. THE LATTER CALLED THEM "LITTLE MADRONE BERRIES". THE KAROK PUT THEM ON A BASKET PLATE FACING THE FIRE AND THEN BAKED THEM IN AN EARTHEN OVEN FOR 2 - 3 HOURS. THE BERRIES WERE EATEN IN A PINOLE AS WELL. THE MOWOK BOILED THEM AND BAKED THEM IN A DEEP NARROW EARTH OVEN FOR 2 - 3 DAYS. THEY WERE EATEN WITH PINOLE SEED MEAL.

JUNIPER BERRIES WERE EATEN FRESH BY THE POMO AND ATSUGEWI. THE LATTER DRIED THEM AS DID MANY TRIBES IN THE SOUTHWEST. THE BERRIES RIPENED IN AUGUST AND THEY WERE KNOCKED FROM TREES INTO A BUCKET OR GATHERED FROM THE GROUND. THE PULP WAS POUNDED IN MORTARS AND MIXED WITH WATER AND FORMED INTO A CAKE, THEN DRIED HARD TAKING 4 - 5 DAYS.

WILD ROSE HIPS WERE EATEN BY THE POMO. THE CAHUILA PICKED BUDS BEFORE BLOSSOMING AND ATE THEM. SOAKED THEM IN WATER FOR A BEVERAGE. ALSO THE KASHAYO POMO ATE THESE AS WELL AS WOOD ROSE BUDS.

MANY VARIETIES OF PRICKLY PEAR FRUIT WERE EATEN RAW OR PRESERVED. THE MOHAVE AND COCOPAH ATE TUNAS AND ROLLED THEM ON THE GROUND TO REMOVE SPINES. SAN ISABELLA ATE THE RAW FRUIT OF THIS CACTUS. THEY ALSO DRIED THE PULP.

PAUL CAMPBELL