wild rasberries

[Old John]

the first few years we were here on the mainland we'd travel far and wide picking wild raspberries. Then back when DOT was expanding the Glenn hwy between Anch and Wasilla into a 4 lane hwy, a nice older couple whose homestead was going to get gobbled up by the expansion gave my wife a couple dozen plants of a red domestic raspberry. We replanted them in our back yard on Peters Creek.. We've moved a couple times since, but always took a few "starts" with us. Had 3 short rows of raspberries terraced on the South Side of this place, but 3 rows was too much so dug up and gave one row away.. Down to 2 rows, but on a good year we can still pick several gallons, which is about double what the two of us can use so we end up giving away about half the crop. I wouldn't say the domestics are any better, juicier, or flavorful than a wild raspberry, but the berries are usually larger and easier to pick. And as yet, haven't had to share with any bear...!

[kasilofchrisn]

Seriously berries in AK are so easy to find.

We found these just 10 yards from my driveway.
Just bought this house last October so I was happy to find another patch of wild berries and they're so close to the house!
If it were me id just grab my berry book,pick a trail,lace up my hiking boots and get after it.




Would have picked more but it started pouring down rain.

[Paul H]

If you have a canoe you could check out the Canoe Trails in the Kenai National Wildlife refuge. We found quite a few in the portage between paddle lake and channel lake.

That said, there is something to be said for having your own patch. A friend gave us some starters several years back and our small patch easily yields 5 gallons a year.

[rmbaril]

We have our own secret stash of bushes, but were out around Jim Creek area last weekend and saw lots of berries and bushes. Might be worth checking the area out!

Good luck!

[kasilofchrisn]

Something that has worked really really well for me over the years is scouting for berries.
Buy the berry book for AK and learn what the plants and flowers look like with out berries.
Then whenever I am out fishing,hunting,hiking,etc. I am always on the lookout for berry plants.
Keep that in mind as you are out and about. Know what terrain the berries like and you will begin to find the plants. Mark them on your GPS or in your memory bank, come berry season youll know right where to look.

[4merguide]

I've run into domestic raspberries in places where people had camped or lived. Or perhaps they were hybridized, anyway, they were good size berries. The ones that are obviously wild, however, seem to get no bigger than my thumb nail.

Yes, for the most part the wild raspberries around here are indeed pretty small. But while moose hunting I have stumbled across a few wild patches that were nice sized. I just wish I'd still find the low bush blueberries like I used to see.....

[sayak]

I don't know guy.....there's been a few patches I've hit that had some pretty good size to them.........

I've run into domestic raspberries in places where people had camped or lived. Or perhaps they were hybridized, anyway, they were good size berries. The ones that are obviously wild, however, seem to get no bigger than my thumb nail.

[tabmarine]

There are no raspberries off the parks highway so don't go look'n there. Nothing to pick here...just move along:nyanya:

[4merguide]

The wild raspberries down here are pretty small! It would take a lot to do much with them. .

I don't know guy.....there's been a few patches I've hit that had some pretty good size to them.........

[sayak]

I'm in the Wasilla area and was wondering where would be a good location to find decent wild raspberry patches. Our neighbor and I are wanting to make some jam and aren't that familiar where to look for them. We had our own patch in our yard when we lived in Anchorage. Please PM me with locations to start and maybe we can get a pie or jar of jam headed your way when successful. Thank you in advance.

The wild raspberries down here are pretty small! It would take a lot to do much with them. I do know a road with a lot of them, however. Mr. Dandeo, I will share that road location with you but you better not freakin' go and spread that info. PM me if you want.

[Yukon Cornelius]

Just for the record guys do not be surprised if you don't get a lot of responses on berry patches.
It is like giving out GPS coordinates to your favorite halibut fishing spot. If you give it out you may find it barren when you get out there yourself.
Most berry pickers also have plenty of pies and Jams thats what we pick them for.
My wife also makes and jars pie filling and makes berry pancakes all year round. As well as cobblers,jelly,sauces and syrups.
dandeo2003 I sent you a PM

I was thinking same thing. I asked two years ago where to pick at, and was told to go find. Then the person took me but I was so new I have no Ida where we went.

[kasilofchrisn]

Just for the record guys do not be surprised if you don't get a lot of responses on berry patches.
It is like giving out GPS coordinates to your favorite halibut fishing spot. If you give it out you may find it barren when you get out there yourself.
Most berry pickers also have plenty of pies and Jams thats what we pick them for.
My wife also makes and jars pie filling and makes berry pancakes all year round. As well as cobblers,jelly,sauces and syrups.
dandeo2003 I sent you a PM

[kasilofchrisn]

Has anyone been out to pick raspberries up near Fairbanks? When do they come in?

On the Peninsula we pick them in early to mid August. Not sure on Fairbanks.
When they are ripe don't dawdle pick them quick. A good rain will knock them off quickly.

[Daniel7723]

Has anyone been out to pick raspberries up near Fairbanks? When do they come in?

[dandeo2003]

KC, on the peninsula would be fine, we make several trips down for fishing and it wouldn't hurt to extend a trip to do some picking. We are also looking for other berries too. Such as cranberries(low & high bush), blueberries, salmonberries, mellonberries, etc.. Our neighbor moved down here from up by Livengood and isn't familiar with the picking areas or times down here and my wife is happy to have someone to go picking and do some jarring with when I'm gone.