Runnin' back to Saskatoon
Lynn Ogryzlo, Just a Taste
Published on
Jul 25, 2008
Actually, you don't have to head west for these delicious berries
Winter-hardy Saskatoon berry bushes are plentiful in Saskatchewan, but, I would expect, are a rare find in Niagara. That's why when my neighbour brought over a Saskatoon berry pie, I was excited to learn he found the delicious berries here.
If you're not familiar with Saskatoon berries you just might mistake them for blueberries. At first glance they look alike, but the Saskatoon berry has more of an acidic taste, is smaller and has a pit.
Not a nice berry to eat fresh from the bush, but they're incomparable when you cook them! They have a feminine blueberry flavour with a country twang and gutsy sweetness that will keep you coming back for more.
The secret is the addition of lemon juice. The combination of the two creates its incredibly distinctive flavour that you'll recognize in jam, pies and sauces. This little berry seems to be the latest Niagara discovery.
Just this week, I was having lunch at Beyond Catering Market Café in the Ridley Plaza when a small, heaping blueberry tart caught my eye. "That's a Saskatoon berry tart," said Chef Tony Nuth, "the berries came from Whitty Farm."
As I did my shopping the rest of the day, I found Saskatoon berries at The Fruit Shack on Niagara Stone Road. Owner Sue Pohorly handed me a recipe for Saskatoon berry pie given to her by a loyal Saskatoon berry customer. Then at Bluemin' Acres on Line 1 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Diana DiMarco grows them. She tells me you can substitute Saskatoon berries in any blueberry recipe.
So I bought some and set out to make the Saskatoon berry pie. It was really simple, just add a bit of sugar, a few tablespoons of water and a few pints of Saskatoon berries and cook for a few minutes. I pureed the hot mixture and strained it to remove the pits. It wasn't until I added the lemon juice that the berries came alive with flavour.
Sue Pohorly's recipe is for a very traditional double crust pie, Chef Tony Nuth's berry pie was heaping full of fresh berries with a delicious under layer of Saskatoon berry puree and mine was a creamy thick mass of pureed Saskatoon berries topped with a dollop of kirsch (cherry liqueur) spiked whipped cream.
Incredibly delicious, Saskatoon berries can be pureed and poured over ice cream for a different treat, layered into a summer fruit trifle or spooned over angel food cake. Fold the puree gently with whipped cream and refrigerate for a few hours and you have a Saskatoon berry fool, or splash some over hot buttermilk pancakes to turn ordinary pancakes into a brilliant taste of a Niagara summer.
Saskatoon berries are not just for Saskatchewan any more, now that Niagara has discovered them, they've become a part of our edible culture.
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ON THE MENU
Saskatoon berry tart
2 pints Saskatoon berries
1/4 cup (60 mL) water
1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar
2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch
3 tbsp (45 mL) cold water
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
1 pre-baked 9-inch tart shell
1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream
1 tsp (5 mL) sugar
Kirsch liqueur
In a saucepan over medium low heat, add Saskatoon berries, water and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Transfer half to a blender and puree. Repeat with remaining half.
Return to the saucepan and warm. Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch and cold water together and add to the Saskatoon berry puree. Cook on low until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and butter, stirring until completely melted and incorporated into puree. Pour into tart shell. You should have approximately 1/4 of the puree left over, set this aside for another use. Refrigerate pie until ready to use.
When ready, whip the cream with sugar and Kirsch until stiff peaks form. Slice the pie and serve topped with a spoonful of Kirsch whipped cream. Makes 1 tart.
Saskatoon berry dessert options
With the leftover pie filling:
Add a tablespoon of cherry kirsch and spoon over ice cream.
Slice a scone in half, fill with whipping cream and raspberries and spoon Saskatoon berry sauce over top.
Fold it gently with whipped cream, stopping while you have colourful swirls of deep red and white. Spoon this into small wine glasses and refrigerate for a colourful dessert.
Add a teaspoon in a glass of sparkling wine for a new deep red mimosa.
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Lynn Ogryzlo is food and wine writer for Niagara this Week and Niagara Life Magazine and author of Niagara Cooks. Her television segment, "Taste of Niagara" can be seen Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on CHCH News' Niagara Express.