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Alaska Berry Spritzer

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Alaska Berry Spritzer

Wild Alaska berries such as blueberries, salmon-berries, and cranberries, are renowned for their nutritional value and potential health benefits.
Servings 6 Serving(s)

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups Alaska wild berries of any variety
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups club soda
  • 1 cup lowbush cranberries (lingonberries)
  • ¼ cup Alaska fireweed honey or birch syrup

Instructions
 

  • This sponsored recipe is brought to you by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.
    Rinse fresh berries. Combine berries, water, and honey in a blender, and blend to combine. Add club soda, pour over ice, and enjoy, or strain first if desired.
    Nutritional Content: Berries are rich in vitamins, especially vitamin C, which is an antioxidant that boosts immunity. Alaska’s berries contain 3–5 times higher the amount of antioxidants than cultivated relatives. They contain essential minerals like potassium, manganese, and copper. Berries are high in dietary fiber, which aids digestion and promotes gut health.
    They’re packed with antioxidants, including anthocyanins, which give the berries their vibrant color and have been linked to various health benefits.
    Health Benefits: Berries may help reduce the risk of heart disease by improving cholesterol levels and blood pressure; they could enhance cognitive function and protect against age-related brain decline. Berries can help reduce inflammation in the body, which is associated with various health conditions. The fiber content in berries can contribute to feelings of fullness and may aid in weight management.

Related Stories & Recipes:

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Alaska Native Medical Center Executive Chef Amy Foote gave a presentation and cooking demonstration about the Native foods she harvests, receives, and serves to patients staying at the Center. She was speaking at the joint Association for the Study of Food and Society + Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society conference taking place this week in Anchorage. While she shared stories of offering healing seal soup to patients, she prepared a bright and crunchy summer salad featuring sea asparagus and fresh blueberries. We're grateful that she agreed to share the recipe with us!   Ingredient note: beach asparagus is a wild food. If you're harvesting it yourself for the first time, consult with a guide or a trusted expert so you know you have harvested safely. And take care to leave more behind than you take. At Edible Alaska, our general wild harvest guideline is to take no more than one percent in any particular patch or area.  
Crowberries courtesy of uniprot.org
Crowberries, also called mossberries, are found throughout Alaska on alpine muskegs and tundra, growing very low to the ground on a trailing evergreen plant. The leaves of this plant are very small and narrow, and tiny round berries can get up to ½ inch in diameter, with a rich, blue-black color. Look for crowberries to appear in late July, sometimes mixed in with blueberry bushes.

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