Nebraskaland

NEBRASKAland June 2014

NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.

Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/315021

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52 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014 JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 53 PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG Early Uses As a native, wild edible of the Great Plains, the chokecherry is highly valued by the Plains Indians of North America. It was a staple food, so esteemed that in the Dakota language, the month of July is "Chanpa sapa wi," which translates to "Black-cherry moon," signifying when the cherries ripen. The chokecherry was also significant in that the time of their Sun Dance ceremony was determined by the ripening of its fruit. Additionally, historians have found chokecherry seeds in archaeological remains at a historic Pawnee village near Guide Rock, Nebraska, and at 11 of 62 sites in North and South Dakota. Historically, chokecherry was one of the main ingredients in making pemmican, a mixture of pounded dried meat, fat and fruit, important to the diets of Plains Indians, as well as early trappers, traders and explorers of the region. Because pitting each fruit was laborious, chokecherries were boiled or dried and pounded with their pits, a process that would alter the harmful hydrocyanic (prussic) acid in the pits and make them safe to eat. Some tribes also cooked chokecherries with their corn in the winter to make a chokecherry/cornmeal mush. Other parts of the plant also had uses. Chokecherry twigs were stripped of their bark and used as skewers to flavor meat while cooking. Bark could also be boiled to make tea or a remedy for diarrhea. Among settlers, chokecherries were used to make jellies, jams, syrups, wines and pies. Trappers have been known to wash their traps in a similar decoction to remove scent from former captures. Identification The chokecherry's scientific name is Prunus virginiana. It is a shrub or small tree found on hillsides, open woods, along streams, roadsides, fence rows and ravine banks, in rich, sandy or rocky soils. Trees often grow in thickets, and can grow up to 20 feet, but most stand no more than 12 feet tall. Branches are reddish-brown to dark brown. Leaves alternate, are elliptical in shape with toothed margins, and are dark green on top and grayish green on the underside. Flowers are white with five petals, and bloom in April and May. Fruits are smooth and round, deep red-purple or black when ripe and can be collected mid- to late-summer, and sometimes earlier in hot, dry years. Chokecherries can often be mistaken for the invasive species buckthorn from Europe, which can make people sick when eaten. Chokecherries hang together in clusters on their own stalk off the main twig, while buckthorn berries grow individually directly on the twig. Chokecherry trees showing signs of having been sprayed with herbicides, such as yellow, wilted or dead leaves or discolored fruit, should not be picked. For more information, Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region by Melvin R. Gilmore, Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie by Kelly Kindscher, and Wild Seasons by Kay Young are great references. Wild Chokecherry Jelly Ingredients: • 4 cups of whole ripe chokecherries, twigs and leaves removed • 1 cup of water • 1 box of Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin • ½ teaspoon of butter • 4 cups of sugar Directions: Wash chokecherries thoroughly. Place in a large pot with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer until cherries are soft, about 10 minutes. With a potato masher, mash cherries to let out its juices as best you can. Then strain mixture through cheesecloth or a jelly strainer; you should get between 4-5 cups of juice. Pour strained chokecherry juice into a large saucepot, add butter and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add sugar, return to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Skim off any foam. Immediately ladle mixture into sterilized (boiled) jars leaving ¼ inch at the top. Wipe off jar rims and screw on sterilized (boiled) 2-piece lids. Place jars in a canner and process for 5 minutes in gently boiling water to seal. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After they're cool, check seal by pressing down on the lids. If a lid springs back, that jar has not been successfully sealed and will need refrigeration. Allow jelly to set, which usually takes at least 24 hours for me. ■ Read Jenny's NEBRASKAland blog "Midland Musings" to see other stories from this NEBRASKAland Regional Editor. R N b M Wild Chokecherry An Important Wild Edible of the Great Plains. By Jenny Nguyen

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