by Natalya Andrex
There are a lot of fruit foraging opportunities in New Jersey, if you know where to look. In this blog I’ll tell you about some of the wild fruits I’ve helped find, harvest, and even prepare into some yummy dishes! The fruits I will talk about today are choice edibles. (meaning they are good wild food choices) They are not all native to the area, but are definitely all delicious.
1. Autumn Olive
This tree originates from Asia, but after being introduced to North America it grows very well here. You can recognize it from its leaves' silver undersides, and when they are ripe its copious red orange berries will also have silvery speckles. These berries are flavorful, astringent and tart, and can be eaten raw but it’s recommended to spit out the pips(pits). They can also be cooked and strained to make other foods, personally when we harvest them we boil them, strain them, and lay the mixture out flat on a baking sheet. Bake on low until done and Voila! Tart, foraged homemade fruit leather!
2. Black Cherries
Photo by Matthew Beziat
These trees are a native NJ plant, and are common trees in the Eastern US. They produce dark (almost black in color) cherry fruits that are sweet and delicious. This tree's fruit is easily recognizable when ripe because of its dark color. You can also look for the way the cherries grow together on the same stem. Fruits are delicious when ripe, just remember to spit out the pits. This is another pit fruit that's well suited to being boiled, strained, and made into a foraged food. I personally recommend adding sweetener of your choice and preparing jam!
3. Highbush Blueberries
Photo by Paul VanDerWerf
These plants are NJ’s native blueberries! Usually easiest to find them growing in the deciduous forest underbrush, blueberry plants like to grow several bushes close together so they can produce fruit. My advice is to get out there early during the blueberry season, or else you’ll find that the deer have enjoyed all the blueberries!
4. Pawpaw Tree
Photo courtesy of the Plant Image Library
These trees are another native plant, but unlike the other plants on this list it’s not always easy to locate the ripe fruit. I had to go on a hunt to find these when foraging! Pawpaw trees are the only native trees in this area of the world that grow fruit this big, with a texture and taste similar to a mango. Other fruits of this variety usually only grow in tropical temperatures, which is why the Pawpaw fruit is such an unusual and special choice edible.
5. Wineberries
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Photo by Tomwsulcer
Wineberries are an incredibly prolific plant in this area! They are relatives of raspberry plants and look similar, but wineberries have reddish hairs along with the spines that cover the plant. These fruits have a raspberry-like taste, but also their own flavor. This plant isn’t native to the area, but it’s still a great choice edible!
If you attempt to find any of the plants discussed in this list, please ensure you take proper precautions when it comes to identifying and eating wild plants. Be cautious, there are plenty of plant look-alikes and situations where harmful pesticides could have been used. Only forage and eat wild plants at your own risk.
I hope you found this list of choice edible fruits in the NJ area helpful! There are a wide variety of plants out there, and I am always excited to learn about new ones, especially when they're tasty!
Happy foraging!