We went hunting {or foraging depending on how trendy you feel} for wild blueberries again this year. It was H-O-T that day and I’ll admit I often wanted to just lay down on the forest floor and hide in the shade of the ferns. But we all preservered and collected a decent little amount of ripe, sweet, crisp berries.

The next time you find yourself wandering through the forest, you can hunt for these little wild gems too! All you need to do is to keep a close eye on the ground. Nestled under ferns in a sunny patch, you will find these little low-lying plants.

The little berries will be in all stages of growth from little newly formed green buds, to purple, to pink, to blue, to very dark blue. It’s those blue and dark blue ones you want! Be careful when picking them off the plant so not to disturb the ones not ripe yet.

          

The little blue berries will be all over the plant, so you have to bend down and look closely. A lot of times, those big ripe ones will be on the bottom of the plant!

Three important things to remember — 1. Watch where you are walking, it’s easy to step right on top of a blueberry plant if you aren’t being careful. 2. Don’t take more than you need, the forest animals rely on them for food. 3. If you can’t identify the berry as a blueberry, don’t eat it – better safe than sorry!

Have fun and enjoy your foraging!! Don’t forget you can also often find wild strawberries and blackberries too!!