Omnivore loving vegan, gluten-free & beverage recipes
Life’s Little Sweets celebrates seasonal cooking and local food pathways. Find inspiration from farms, CSAs, and home gardens with recipes that highlight fresh ingredients, community, and the joy of cooking through the seasons. Continue Reading
Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas are a great addition as a side to any meal, they are perfect on top of salads for added nutrition and are easy to make in your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker for weekly meal planning.
This Sand Tart Cookie Recipe is our family recipe perfect for the Christmas & Holiday season making a big batch of cookies. These cookies are easy to customize to your tastes with various toppings and make a fun activity for everyone involved.
This sweet, Homemade Coffee Creamer recipe can be used in coffee or tea. It is made with 1 can of sweetened condensed milk and water or for a creamier option, you can use milk or half and half. It is infused with pure vanilla extract but can be customized with other extracts or even Baileys or rum for a boozy option. This creamer is so fast and easy to make for yourself or as an edible gift!
Maple Cinnamon Butter is a sweet and delicious butter recipe that is perfect for having on muffins, toast, popovers, bread, or just about anything you imagine. It only takes a few minutes and 4 simple ingredients to make this maple-cinnamon scented butter.
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Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Wineberry Recipes Collection - Learn about these tart, delicious, red, foraged berries found in NJ & PA, Wineberries (Japanese Raspberry), when they are in season (late June-July), and recipes that you can use them in!
Hi Everyone, Wineberry season is here!
These tart-sweet berries can be used just like raspberries in recipes or just eaten raw.
They are great in drinks both non-alcoholic and with alcohol.
I have included some photos of the wineberries right in our yard.
Wineberries, also known as Japanese Raspberry, are actually considered an invasive plant that grows in the mid-Atlantic area, and in our case, in central NJ, Delaware Valley, and PA areas.
Here in NJ, Wineberries grow in the wild, so they are a foraged berry and we have several Wineberry bushes in our yard.
The stems are thorny, so you have to be careful when you are picking them.
Here is a description of Wineberries from Wikipedia:
Rubus phoenicolasius is an Asian species of raspberry in the rose family, native to China, Japan, and Korea. The species was introduced to Europe and North America as an ornamental plant and for its potential in breeding hybrid raspberries. Did you know: Wineberries can be found in many habitats, such as forest, fields, stream banks, and wetland edges, as well as open woods.
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You can buy Wineberry plants and grow them but I would suggest, buying a native plant instead.
There are so many invasive species, why add to them?
This post is mainly geared toward people who live in the areas where they grow, have them in their yards, and want to make use of their delicious berries.
Disclaimer: Before ingesting Wineberries or any foraged plant or berry, get a positive identification of exactly what the plant species is. Forage at your own risk!
If you want to know more about plant identification for Wineberries and other wild edibles, for the NJ and PA area, check out this website I found: The Wild Edibles Lady
Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links which means I earn a commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you.
I only recommend brands and products that I 100% like and enjoy using.
Thank you in advance for your support!
Also, having a physical book or field guide is helpful, in addition to the internet!
I purchased the following book below about foraging in the Northeast United States.
You can also take in-person workshops and classes on the subject of foraging, classes are offered at The Farm Cooking School where I work, and through Locust Light Farm which is also at the same location.
RELATED: The Farm Cooking School and Roots to River Farm at Gravity Hill, Garden Fest 2019 and Roots to River Farm Market (2019)
Wineberry season is from late June to early to mid-July.
It’s late June right now and they are just starting to look like they will be ready soon.
The season is short and only lasts a few weeks.
The fourth of July would be the largest holiday during the Wineberry season for the Northeast, United States.
RELATED: Roots to River Farm CSA
When I pick them, I pick them as they ripen and when I have enough, then I can use them in a recipe.
Depending on the amount that you have in your yard, you might need to pick them over time.
You can also freeze them, just as you would any other berry for use at a later date.
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You can use them in any recipe if you would have a raspberry or other berry.
If you are pairing them with another berry, I would suggest that you pair them with a less tart berry, like blueberry or strawberry.
You can also just enjoy them raw after being picked and washed.
They would go well over ice cream, in drinks, as a jam, sauce, or as a topping on another dessert as well.
There are so many Wineberry recipes that I can think of, here are some ideas off the top of my head below:
I included some Wineberry recipes from other websites below, as I start to add them to the blog, I will add those to the list.
Thank you for reading and following along!
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Wineberry Recipes Collection - Learn about these tart, delicious, red, foraged berries found in NJ & PA, Wineberries (Japanese Raspberry), when they are in season (late June-July), and recipes that you can use them in!
Wild Blackberry Wineberry Pear Oatmeal Galette is made with wild blackberries, wineberries (Japanese Raspberry), and pears (similar to the Bosc variety). The recipe also includes a filling infused with mint & basil, has added oatmeal, and has a homemade, buttery pie crust.
Blackberry Wineberry Crisp is a seasonal dessert recipe with wild, foraged Blackberries and Wineberries (Japanese Raspberry).
This Flourless Chocolate Cake with Wineberries has rich, chocolate ganache. It is topped with fresh, local, foraged Wineberries (Japanese Raspberry); if you don’t have Wineberries on hand, you can substitute the same amount of regular raspberries or your favorite seasonal berry or fruit! gluten-free and vegetarian
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Pamela Zaplitny says
How do we know for sure that the bushes we have behind the house on
a hill are wine berries or Japanese raspberries ? Thank you
Sara Maniez says
Talk to a local foraging expert near you, I also suggest either buying or getting the book from the library, "Northeast Foraging" which will help you identify the Wineberries for you. I can't not identify them for you because I would need to see them in person to be sure. As always, I advise erring on the side of caution and do not eat wild food unless you know for sure that it's the exact species that you are looking for. Good luck!