Crowberry

The crowberry is basically one small genus that is a part of dwarf evergreen shrubs. You should know that the fruits are edible and are known by the same name as the plant. The crowberry is usually found in the Earth’s northern hemisphere in the region situated between temperate and subarctic climates. You will also find it in South America and in the South Atlantic Ocean. The crowberry’s habitat is muskeg and tundra, although it is also common in some spruce forests. There are three main species of this berry and every single one is a small shrub that comes with leaves that are needle-like. You will surely not be attracted by the plant’s flowers as they are very plain and small. The fruit is a different story. It is very similar to an alpine bearberry, although it is tastier and looks a lot like a blueberry.

What is interesting with crowberries stands in its uses. You should be aware of the fact that this plant was crucial in the diet of Sami and Inuit people in the past. In the past years few people knew that and the fruit was not really used anymore. Nowadays you can notice a constant gain in popularity. It is easy to understand why as the plant crop is very steady and it is very easy to gather the fruit. Growing crowberries is really easy and all farmers say this. Now what is interesting is the fact that the fruit comes with a very high concentration of a substance that can be utilized as a good natural food dye. We are talking about anthocyanin, which you might find in a lot of foods you are already eating. Also, the Dena’ina will be harvesting crowberries in order to eat them and even store them during the winter in a combination with oil or lard. Crowberries do not require special preparation in order to store them.

In most cases crowberries are collected during fall. Also, if you will not pick them they might resist during the winter and they can be picked during spring. Raw berries do not have any taste and in the past Native Americans mixed them with various other berries. The most common combination was with blueberries. If you cook crowberries they will have a better flavor and nowadays they are quite common in jelly and pie.

In the past we have seen crowberry stems and leaves being used in order to treat various stomach problems and diarrhea. In order to do this a liquid was created by boiling them in water. According to some individuals the crowberry juice that can be obtained is very good to treat kidney trouble and is great in a combination with a multi-vitamin supplement. Sometimes the root is also utilized so that eye growths are removed or sore eyes are healed. Although the crowberry mainly contains water and comes in with a low level of present vitamins, it is still worth taking into account. It does show an acidity that is a lot lower than with other berries and you basically find no benzene acids included.

Unfortunately crowberries are not really common in supermarkets. This is mainly because of the fact that they are not as tasty as other berries. People will look for berries that taste well and sometimes crowberries will be taken out of consideration. Although this is not really something that will bring in huge health benefits, adding crowberries to your diet whenever possible is not at all a bad thing. There are benefits that will be brought in, just as with most types of berries out there.