Wild Berries of Washington and Oregon

Book excerpt: Wild berries, fresh, delicious, and free, are abundant throughout the Pacific Northwest. T. Abe Lloyd and Fiona Hamersley Chambers give clear instruction for where and how to find wild berries, when they are in season, and how best to enjoy them. Lloyd and Chambers describe two hundred berries and berry-like fruits, from the common blackberry to native delicacies such as Pacific crab apples, Oregon grape, and salal. Over 400 full color photographs and over 100 additional color illustrations show even the novice hiker what berries to pick and where to look for them. Full information is also given on poisonous and dangerous species to avoid. For each fruit there are clear descriptions of flavor and uses, with suggestions and recipes for cooking and preserving. In addition, Wild Berries of Washington and Oregon gives ranges and seasons, common and botanical names, Native American and European uses, history, herbal lore, and legends. Berries grow throughout Oregon and Washington free for the taking in state and national parks and forests. Hikers, campers, and backpackers will never leave home without this handy and indispensable guide. For cooks and locavores, it's full of ideas for delicious, unusual ingredients to forage. An afternoon picking wild berries can be a wonderful outing for families. The taste of wild berries in preserves, jams, and jellies will bring back memories of times enjoyed outdoors with friends. Wild Berries of Washington and Oregon, the newest guidebook from Lone Pine Publishing, has the quality their users have come to rely on: dependable information, beautiful illustrations, and flexible, sturdy binding. It will inspire anyone to head outside and enjoy the bounty that nature provides.