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Wednesday 8 May 2013

Fruit of the Week: Saskatoon Berry

Saskatoon's are coming!

I have a sweet spot for saskatoon berries, but not just because they are sweet. I have lovely memories of my grandpa taking me and my sisters saskatoon berry picking (and eating) when we were kids. We did a lot more eating than picking and at the end of the afternoon had 1/4 of an ice cream pail compared to grandpas full pail. He'd look at our purple-stained hands and corners of our mouths, shake his head and smirk, then load us back into the truck to take our pitiful pails back to the cabin where grandma would make saskatoon pie. It took all of my will power not to eat the 1/4 pail of berries on the way home! 

Saskatoon berry season starts the second week in June and I am already excited. I haven't went saskatoon berry picking in a long time and was delighted to find frozen saskatoon's at a the Co-op grocery store last week. 



Saskatoons are antioxidant rich fruit, high in fibre and a great source of essential vitamins and minerals - containing vitamins A, B6, C and E, calcium, iron, thiamine, folate, phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, chloride and manganese. 

Saskatoons are also know as juneberries, shadberries and serviceberries. And were initially called misaskwatomin or misaskquahtoomina by the Cree Indians meaning "fruit of many branches."

Bonus fact: I just found this out today - Saskatoon berries are purple and look very similar in color and size to a blueberry, but surprisingly are more related to the apple family and considered a 'pome.' 

Saska-Blue Berry Smoothie


Ingredients
1 cup frozen saskatoon berries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
2 bananas
3 leaves of kale
1 cup of coconut water (or the water from one young thai coconut)

Blend them all together for a sweet, nutrient-dense, and filling smoothie. A great way to start your day!

Lots of fruity love

Naturally Ashley
xo





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