How to Get Food From a Crowberry Plant

Credit: Ante Aikio - Copyright: Public Domain

The crowberry plant is found in temperate and subarctic climates throughout Asia, Europe and North America. It grows in a wide variety of habitats, from coastal to open tundra to mountainous forest areas. The plant is a small evergreen shrub with needle-like leaves. The plant produces small, edible, shiny black berries. These bitter-tasting berries are often eaten by Native Americans.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step 1

Illustration Showing the Parts of the Crowberry Plant

Identify the crowberry plant. Be careful to identify the plant correctly. Other plants can look similar to the crowberry plant but are not edible. The crowberry plant is a short, creeping evergreen shrub. It reaches approximately 6 to 10 inches in height. The narrow leaves are less than 1/2 inch long. The sides of the leaves curl under, touching at the sides, creating a needle-like tube appearance. Generally from May to June, the plant will have inconspicuous pinkish, reddish or purple flowers. The small juicy pea-size berries are round and contain several hard white seeds inside. The seeds are also edible.

Step 2

Pick the edible berries from the crowberry plant. Don't pick any other parts of the plant. Pick as many berries as you need. The berries can be eaten fresh or dried for later use.

Step 3

Eat the edible fresh berries. The berries from the crowberry plant will have a slightly bitter taste.

Step 4

Dry the berries for future use. The dried berries are edible and will store almost indefinitely. To dry the berries, spread them out in the sun to dry. Spread the berries so that none of them are touching one another, which allows air circulation for drying. Turn the berries once they begin to look dry, to provide air circulation to all sides of the berries.

Step 5

Cook the fresh or dried berries in water over a campfire. The cooked berries will be slightly sweeter, making them more palatable. The berries mix well with other edible berries.

Tips & Warnings

Never eat berries or plants that you can't accurately identify. There are many plants and berries that are poisonous.

Resources

U.S. Forest Service

Article Written By Rose Kivi

Rose Kivi has been a writer for more than 10 years. She has a background in the nursing field, wildlife rehabilitation and habitat conservation. Kivi has authored educational textbooks, patient health care pamphlets, animal husbandry guides, outdoor survival manuals and was a contributing writer for two books in the Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Series.

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