On my hikes about the hillside and down to the creek bed, I can usually find a ready snack on the trail. Blackberries, huckleberries, wild blueberries, wild persimmons all grow along the marsh edge and in the woods. I have no qualms about grabbing a handful of these as a handy snack but I admit to being leery of just trying any fruit I see. That old saying of better safe than sorry rings true. Today, however, I was happy to find a new snack albeit a sour one to add to my hiking pleasure. Sparkle berries! I had never heard of such until a friend (who I have never met!) mentioned finding them on a hike. Well, if there is a berry that grows here and is edible, I needed to find it, right? So...I searched. In fact, I have been searching for weeks and was in hopes that I would find some before they all dried up and fell from the bush or were all eaten by critters.
This afternoon, my quest was accomplished! I found my sparkle berries! Sure, they looked a bit dry and there were only a few left on the bush but, hey, they were there! But...as I said earlier, I am leery of trying things without a positive identification. So, I sent a photograph to my friend and the berries were confirmed to be sparkle berries. The confirmation came with a lot of pointers on how to identify the berries so I feel quite confident in tasting them. Tomorrow, the berries will be put to a taste test despite warnings from my friend. "They are tart!" My whole thought is that if the berries are there next year, a batch of sparkle berry jelly should be attempted!
Still, regardless of the fact that the sparkle berries may not be as tasty as the huckleberries, I think it is a wise move to learn what is edible and what is not. Ha! If I ever get lost on a hike around the Bayou, I will survive! Snacks abound! Free food for the taking!
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