Huckleberry Pie

[ahr]

About three years ago, Mimi Sheraton mentioned finding huckleberry pie for dessert at Vento in early September. Does anyone know of a restaurant currently serving -- or better still, a bakery currently selling -- huckleberry pie?

Thanks to all.

[phaelon56]

Have you checked Union Square Greenmarket? Up here in the sticks we usually have a couple folks selling baked goods at our local farmer's market and they tend to use seasonal ingredients for their fresh baked pies.

[Terrasanct]

Do huckleberries grow in New York/New Jersey? If so, are they wild, and are they the purple ones? It seems a lot of different berries are grouped under "huckleberry." In Washington, we picked a red huckleberry, here it's a much tastier purple one that is used in pies, etc. Hmm...I just remembered I have some in my freezer.

Sorry, off track a bit but I'm curious.

[David Ross]

About three years ago, Mimi Sheraton mentioned finding huckleberry pie for dessert at Vento in early September.  Does anyone know of a restaurant currently serving -- or better still, a bakery currently selling -- huckleberry pie?

Thanks to all.

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I wish I wasn't a few thousand miles away or else I would drive a huckleberry pie over to you. I'm not sure if your restaurants in New York will serve many fresh huckleberries this year. I know that we, the Northwest, sell a lot of our huckleberries to the Northeast restaurant trade and our supply this Summer is going to be lower than last year.

We had a very hot early June and a scorching July. That didn't bode well for our huckleberry crop. They grow at high mountain altitudes and they prefer a warm daytime temperature but cool nights. The hot summer basically scalded the berries.

Our local newspaper even reported that the bears are a bit crabby right now because they aren't finding their normal diet of huckleberries and are causing some extra problems for campers. We always compete with the bears when picking huckleberries but this year it seems the struggle is more intense.

Last year I bought a gallon bag of fresh huckleberries for $35. This year the cheapest price I have found is $49.95. Such is the cycle of supply and demand.

If you can't find a huckleberry pie in New York, give these folks a call in Spokane, Washington: White Box Pies, 509-927-8850, 520 S Pines Rd # 4, Spokane Valley, WA 99206. I don't know for sure, but they may ship frozen huckleberry pies. They are serving fresh huckleberry pies right now and they are usually in the $20-$25 range for a whole pie.

Good luck.

[ahr]

Thanks, guys. I haven't seen any berries or pies at the Union Square Greenmarket, nor am I even certain that they're a local crop; the esteemed Ms. Sheraton speculated that those in the Vento pie were "probably from Oregon or maybe Michigan." My own fascination with huckeberry pie, however, began with a long-defunct local bakery chain, Ebinger's, suggesting that at least twenty-plus years ago someone in Brooklyn had a reliable source of huckleberries on a commercial scale.

Edited to add: the berries I remember were purple.

Edited August 27, 2007 by ahr (log)

[dfunghi]

Ebingers made a brief (and very limited) comeback about 10 years ago.There was one in Bay Ridge I would stop at on my way from NJ to L.I. I too grew up eating their fine baked goods from the store on Flatbush ave. near my apt. Blackout cake was my favorite. Folks that think Entemans is the same as Ebingers never had Ebingers. Same as Hostess cakes pale in comparison to Drakes. But I digress.....

Huckleberries of the sort you want are a Western US thing. You may have better luck finding wild blueberry from Maine or MI. and make your own pie.

Now that I am in California I have good access to both the tart RED ( late Fall harvest , more of a savory berry for game or turkey) and the plump , sweet purple varieties. And as previously mentioned (for the second year in a row) it is not a great year.

Many companies in Montana and Idaho have web sites that will ship you just about every type of item made from Hucks you could want. They will not however ship fresh berries. You most likely could pie "pie filling" that will be like a loose jam.

David

[Terrasanct]

Even here in Montana I've never really seen a commercial source for the berries. They're not found in the grocery stores either that I know of. I've only found them at the Missoula Farmers Market (and I imagine the other farmers markets sell them, too.)

I'm 300 miles to the east of Missoula. Huckleberries don't grow here, and I've never seen any for sale, either.

I just found a website that sells frozen wild berries, pretty cool:

http://www.nwwildfoods.com/products.cfm?CatID=6

[ahr]

Folks that think Entemans is the same as Ebingers never had Ebingers.

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Word.

The recent brief incarnation was also but a pale imitation of the original.

[Beanie]

A number of years ago at the Fancy Food Show in NYC, I asked a purveyor from Oregon if he knew of a source for huckleberry preserves. He went into a long discussion about huckleberries not being grown commercially, they must be picked from the wild, and to do so is immoral (and maybe illegal) since this could lead to its depletion. Naturally, he did not offer this product. A couple of years later, these folks had an exhibit at the Fancy Food Show. I always wondered about the accuracy of the first guy's statement. It also made me wonder if wild blueberries from Maine are truly wild or cultivated. The IQF variety from Wyler's are available year round. And yes, I remember Ebinger's huckleberry pie. It seems to me that huckleberries were more prevalent when I was a kid ... but now I wonder if they were truly huckleberries or BB.

[ahr]

White Box Pies had a web site until this past April, but seems to no longer. Alas, they delivered only to local businesses and discouraged the freezing of their pies. Despite the fact that it has apparently been featured on the Food Network, I'm tempted to order a "huckleberry pie in a jar" -- or I may just resume my low-carb diet, content with memories of Ebinger's, whatever in fact were those tiny berries in Ebinger's huckleberry crumb pie.

[robert brown]

Now that Phil Rizzuto's gone, you might not hear about them anymore.

[David Ross]

I'd call myself a huckleberry expert, and there is no substitute for them. They only grow wild and have never been harvested successfully on a commercial basis. The plants have to be in a high-mountain environment to thrive, and it wouldn't be practical for a commercial venture. I doubt the US Forest Service or the Weyerhauser Forest Products Company would like to see a bunch of huckleberry farmers wandering through the woods.

And another problem with a commercial venture is that huckleberries can only be picked by hand, one at a time. The commercial 'scoopers'-those small shovels used for raking berry plants like blueberries, are really not recommended for huckleberries. It probably wouldn't be economical for a commerical huckleberry operation. Our berries are selling for around $45 per gallon bag this year. That's a nice source of extra cash for the folks who sell hand-picked berries at the markets, but imagine the mark-ups that would have to be put in that $45 per gallon cost by a commercial operation. By the time that gallon bag got to market it would probably be double the cost.

Our local paper ran a story last Sunday asking huckleberry pickers to not use raking devices because they strip the branches and bushes of the plants which can inhibit next year's growth of huckleberries. However, if we pick huckleberries by hand and take care not to tramp down the bushes and the forest, the plants do just fine. Many families in the Northwest have gone to the same 'secret' spot in the mountains to pick huckleberries for years. So I don't agree with the guy from Oregon who once said it was 'immoral' or illegal to pick wild huckleberries because it could lead to their depletion. That's not really accurate. If huckleberries are picked by hand and the plants are respected, they'll grow back every year. And try telling an 1,000lb. grizzly bear that it is immoral to pick huckleberries. You'll be the entree after their dessert of huckleberries.

I'm lucky to live in Spokane because right now there are probably 7 or 8 farmer's market stands that are selling huckleberries and even one grocery store that has fresh huckleberries. There are both frozen and fresh huckleberry pies at a few stores in our area.

But as a huckleberry purist I avoid the jams, jellies, candies and huckleberry cordials this time of year. This time of year we only use them in fresh pies and freeze the rest to use throughout the year. So if you have about a week or so and don't mind the price of gasoline for your car, you might just have to head West out of New York city and get on I-90 to Spokane and head to the farmer's market or a local produce stand. Now that would be one expensive bag of huckleberries!

[kiliki]

I too disagree with the general statement that it's "immoral or illegal" to pick huckleberries. But, the fact is that commercial pickers can do a tremendous amount of damage to the resource. They do use those rakes and other devices to harvest, and forest rangers have found many areas here in WA state that have been quite damaged (entire patches ripped up from the roots) after pickers were through with them. They also ignore legal harvesting dates and areas set aside for American Indians. For these reasons I don't buy huckleberries or items such as huckleberry jam-I enjoy them when I'm hiking but that's it.

Here's an article that discusses some of these issues, if anyone's interested.

Huckleberry harvesting

[dfunghi]

I believe Hucks are one of the first plants to gain a foothold after a fire. If true there will always be new huck patches to be picked. Not to mention the vast majority of hucks are way too hard to get at let alone pick and hike out of the woods with. The price of 45 a gallon is at he high end and is a retail price. Most buyers are paying about $35 or less for an 8 pound gallon. They sell here in L.A. for about $10 - $12 a pound. The coastal Oregon huck which arrives later in the season sells for less usually.

I am sure there are wholesale produce companies based out of Hunts Point that sell hucks to the NYC restaurants. Make a few calls and you will find them. Claim to be private chef or a caterer and be willing to pick them up or meet the delivery truck and you should be able to buy a 5 pound bag for $60 or less. If you have a friend that works in the restaurant industry see if they can order them for you.

It is certainly not illegal to pick hucks within the legal guidelines set by BLM or NFS. I am not qualified to comment on the morale question.

Pickers that use unsavory practices are a scourge on the wild harvest industry and ONLY THE COMMERCIAL BUYERS can stop it by refusing to buy the harvest they bring in if they are known to be using harmful practices. The Oregon truffle market has been all but ruined by pickers picking unripe (green) truffles and idiot commercial buyers that buy them so they can be first to market. Ripe, well harvested black and white OR. truffles can be wonderful and the extremely low cost of them makes them a great choice for those that do not have the money or desire to spend $2000 a pound for whites or $700 for blacks. OR. truffles sell for a fraction of that. Last winter we had some of the strongest OR whites I have seen in 10 years. $25 buys enough for two people to over indulge. Unfortunately many inferior whites make it to market and folks say they taste like a potato at best. That is sad as they can be quite good, like a poor cousin to the Alba whites, when picked ripe and prepared well. Always remember they are FAT SOLUBLE so they need butter or cream to really come up in flavor.

[Terrasanct]

David, will they still be available in Spokane at the end of September, or is that too late? I'll be going through Missoula and Spokane on the way to Seattle then, but that's probably too late in the season.

[dfunghi]

Sorry Ter I have no info on that other than that pickers say they go to the first hard frost. We are already seeing a diminishing quality however, so my guess would be that if any at all not great ones would be around. Again though I am not an expert and every year is different based on weather. I would try posting on the Pac NW board for more local answers.

[David Ross]

David, will they still be available in Spokane at the end of September, or is that too late?  I'll be going through Missoula and Spokane on the way to Seattle then, but that's probably too late in the season.

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There should be fresh huckleberries available in late September, even with this Summer's smaller crop. If you don't find fresh berries-there should be bags of frozen berries from this year's crop available. Here are some sources to try-just do a Mapquest search for directions:

-Kootenai County Farmer's Market in Couer d'Alene, Idaho, on Saturdays. It is only about 5 minutes off the I-90 freeway.

-Spokane Farmer's Market in downtonw. Right off the I-90 freeway.

-Green Bluff grower's market and store. They also sell fresh and frozen peach pies and have fresh peach ice cream.

-Small produce stand at the corner of Argonne and Sprague in the Spokane Valley, only a few minutes off the I-90 freeway.

-Yoke's supermarkets sells frozen huckleberry pies from the Green Bluff grower's/farmer's market. They are about $19 a pie. They are in the frozen case by the frozen desserts.

[David Ross]

White Box Pies had a web site until this past April, but seems to no longer.  Alas, they delivered only to local businesses and discouraged the freezing of their pies.  Despite the fact that it has apparently been featured on the Food Network, I'm tempted to order a "huckleberry pie in a jar" -- or I may just resume my low-carb diet, content with memories of Ebinger's, whatever in fact were those tiny berries in Ebinger's huckleberry crumb pie.

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I might have good news for you and there is a glimmer of hope left for you to enjoy a huckleberry pie in New York City.

I was at White Box Pies in Spokane this morning. I bought a fresh huckleberry pie for $20.95-the usual price we pay here for huckleberry pie each year.

I told the baker that I had been corresponding with some folks in New York who were wondering about huckleberry pie. She said they ship them all the time! I forgot to ask her if they are shipped fresh or frozen. She said as long as there are pies they will ship them, but she is worried that she will sell out of huckleberry pies early this year because of the small crop.

The huckleberry crop this year wasn't good in terms of the size of the crop-but the flavor is just as good as always-tart, yet sweet and with that unmistakeable perfume of wild huckleberries.

The shop is closed Sunday and Labor Day on Monday. If you are still interested in a huckleberry pie, you should call them at 509-927-8850 on Tuesday morning.

Here are some photos for everyone of the pie I bought today. Next week I'll post photos of my own huckleberry pie in the dessert forum.

[Katie Meadow]

Last year at the end of August we drove from Glacier National Park in Montana to Walla Walla, WA via northern Idaho; places I'd never been before. It was high season for Hucks, and all along the roads were stands and stalls featuring Huck this and Huck that. We were warned that besides the human competition, bears could be a serious danger to unsuspecting pickers off the beaten track. We didn't pick, but we learned to look out for signs, since Huck products depend upon local pickers for supply. "We have Hucks" meant a fresh supply had just come in.

Our first taste was, I believe, in Libby Montana, and I hope I am not wrong in saying it was the Libby Cafe. This place was out of a 1950s dream. Gleaming stainless and glass cases with picture perfect pies and pastries. A U-shape counter filled with local folks all chatting away, memorabilia on the walls, etc. We sat at the window overlooking the street. My husband had coffee and a slice of Huck pie, which was pretty good, and I had a Huck milkshake, which was truly out of this world. We stopped at several places along the road and bought bags of berries which we devoured.

In case the town of Libby sounds familiar, I didn't realize until a recent article in the NYTimes that it was the site of an infamous cover-up by the WR Grace & Co which owned and ran the vermiculite mines for the last 50 years. Approximately 1,500 cases of asbestos related illness have been documented and a movie about it has been circulating on PBS stations.

[ahr]

If you are still interested in a huckleberry pie, you should call them at 509-927-8850 on Tuesday morning.

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David, many thanks. I'll give a call Tuesday morning.

[David Ross]

I hope someday you all have the rare experience of eating a fresh-baked huckleberry pie. The aroma and the taste of that first slice of pie will forever be stored in your food memory bank-only to come back to conciousness each year when you tuck into another slice of huckleberry pie.

You know, I've been thinking about those darn grizzly bears. We sure can take their lead-they love fresh salmon, especially the roe, and they can't get enough fresh huckleberries. Follow the bears. They know a good thing when they eat it. (Hopefully not human berry pickers).

[Terrasanct]

I didn't end up getting any huckleberries on my trip, but I used the ones in my freezer to make a topping for cheesecake. Maybe not as good as pie, but a whole lot easier to make! And it was very good, anyway.

[David Ross]

Hello cooking friends in NYC. Imagine-it was just a year ago that we were talking about the delicious little huckleberry. Today I thought I'd share some of this year's Northwest huckleberry bounty with you.

We've had a very good crop of huckleberries in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho this year and I've heard the crop over in Montana is also bountiful. The berries are very plump and juicy and much sweeter than the '07 crop.

We paid $35 for a gallon of fresh huckleberries in 2006, $49.95 for a gallon last year (not what I would call a stellar crop worthy of that price), and last week I paid $45 a gallon. The berries are so delicious this year, I'm going back up to the "Green Bluff" Farmer's Co-op this weekend to get another gallon.

Our very odd weather this year has tricked the common sensibilities of what we always have believed were the ideal weather conditions for growing huckleberries-a long hot summer lasting into late September. Hot days and fair nights help sweeten the berries so come September they are at their peak flavor.

This summer the weather has not been what a huckleberry purist would call ideal. We had snow into mid-June, followed by an intensely hot, dry July, a dry yet mild August, hot the first two weeks of September and now uncommonly mild temperatures during the day, dropping to below freezing in the mountains at night. If you had plotted the weather temperatures this summer on a graph, you'd never believe that we would be eating big, sweet huckleberries the third week of September.

I am sure the bears are quite happy right now-they'll be going to go to their slumber this winter with fat bellies full of Huckleberries.

White Box Pies in Spokane will ship a huckleberry pie to downtown Manhattan. Their pies are currently $20.95 plus $11.00 shipping. You probably need to call them ahead of time to make sure that fresh pies are available on the date you order. Huckleberry pies tend to sell out as quickly as they are baked. Check out their website: http://www.whiteboxpiesbakery.com

Here are some recent Huckleberry dishes from my kitchen:

Toasted Crouton with Smoked Gouda and Huckleberry Gastrique-

(A fancy description for a green salad with a melted cheese sandwich and huckleberry sauce)

Slow-Roasted Duck with Huckleberry Compote-

Open-Face Huckleberry Tart-

Pear Brown Betty with Huckleberry Ice Cream-

(does any restaurant put a "Betty" on their dessert menu today?)

Huckleberry Pie-

(Great Aunt Mabel and Grandmother Mildred Ross would be proud-a crust made with Lard AND Butter)