Alaska Blueberry Pancakes!

Here at Two Soulmates and a Suitcase, we are not bakers. Or cooks. Or culinary artists in really any sense of the term. Hence why we take our stuffed donkey to uppity restaurants and then tell you to go there. This is a far cry from a cooking blog.

BUT! We will make an exception today because this blog involves ALASKAN BLUEBERRIES picked by hand at Murphy Dome, a popular spot in the Fairbanks-area for blueberry and cranberry picking. Here’s the deal: berry picking in Alaska is short, relatively risky, somewhat tedious, but totally worth it.

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The Berry Rundown:

When: The season to pick berries is late in the summer and doesn’t last very long. Most Interior Alaskans are pretty in-tune to berry season, so if you don’t get on it in enough time you’ll find many of the popular berry-picking areas over-picked. The best time to go is late July through late August. By the time September hits, berries will still be in season but will likely be gone due to over-picking.

Safety: Your largest concern is bears. And this is a large concern. You are competing for these delicious treats with incredibly desperate and hungry bears whose main goal is to eat as many of these berries as possible before hibernation. With Alaska’s dense and thick brush it’s easy to accidentally run into one of these friends. The key is to be bear aware, carry protection (either in the form of bear spray or a firearm), go with a chatty pal, and bring some dogs. We brought German Shepards Shih Tzus.

 

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Where: This is, shockingly, a tough question to answer. The simple answer is basically everywhere. If you are in the Fairbanks-area, the two best places to pick them are Murphy Dome and Wickershame Dome. The views from both are gorgeous.

Murphy Dome can be accessed from central Fairbanks by getting on the Parks Highway, making a right onto Sheep Creek Road Extension, a left onto Sheep Creek Road/West Tanana Drive, and a left onto Murphy Dome Road. Follow Murphy Dome Road until it ends. The last few hundred feet will have numerous large berry patches, and you can pull off to the side of the road whenever you want.

Wickersham Dome is in the exact opposite area and direction of town. Get there by heading north on the Steese Highway. Once you get to Fox, continue on Highway 2/Elliot Highway. You’ll pass Olnes and Olnes Pond and cross over the Chatanika River. The drive takes about an hour from Fairbanks; once you hit the Elliot Highway start looking to your right where there will be signs that mark the Wickersham Dome trailhead. Unlike Murphy Dome, Wickersham has numerous hiking excursions you can take as a side trip or as a component of your berry picking.

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Types of Berries: Here’s where it all goes down. Pay attention.

BERRIES YOU CAN EAT:

–Blueberries: Obvious. If not obvious, see pictures below. Avoid un-ripe blueberries (they are very small with a reddish color); they’re not poisonous but they’re very, very bitter. Find them late August to late September.

–Raspberries: Again, obvious. Find them in late summer or early autumn.

–Crowberries: Similar to a blueberry but more oval. These berries are relatively bland but we’ve heard if you sweeten them with sugar they’re great in a pie. Find them starting in July and through late September/early October.

–Cranberries: Maybe obvious. Small and red, don’t confuse them with Lingonberries (cranberries are bigger). Find these late in the season, after the first frost. 

–Lingonberries: Slightly smaller than cranberries, red with a small and shiny leaf. Safe to eat and high in antioxidants. Find them in August and through the remainder of the Summer. 

POISONOUS BERRIES:

–Baneberries: Baneberries, unfortunately, look a lot like cranberries, so be very careful if you are picking cranberries. The real only way to determine if you’re looking at a baneberry verses a cranberry, is that baneberries have a small black spot on the outside of the berry.

–Any berry that is white: Just don’t do it.

If you ever have questions about your berries, don’t hesitate to take them to a Park Ranger; they are usually quite knowledgable and helpful when it comes to safe berry picking. We recommend picking berries either in a bucket or a gallon plastic bag. Your berries will be very delicate, so pick gently, and be careful not to squish them.

Basically, once you get through all that, you can make some Alaska Blueberry pancakes!

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Once you get your berries, you’ll notice in the above-picture that you’ve picked a bunch of sticks, leaves, and dirt along with your berries. Whatever you do, do not immediately wash your berries. They are way too delicate to deal with a onslaught of water and pulling of their leaves. The best way to do it is line them all out in an even layer on a baking pan and throw them in the freezer for at least 24 hours.

Once they are fully frozen, take them out of the freezer and remove the leaves and stems. Re-freeze them for another hour and then wash them carefully. Use cold water with as delicate of a stream as possible. Put them back in the freezer.

You will need the following (this makes roughly 10-13 pancakes):
-3 and 3/4 cups flour
-1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
-3 tablespoons baking powder
-3 and 3/4 teaspoons white sugar
-3 eggs
-3 cups milk
-1 and 1/2 tablespoons butter
-Berries! As many as you want!

Step One: Mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar.

Step Two: Add eggs and milk.

Step Three: Add butter.

Step Four: Add your frozen berries! If you are using a mixer, be sure to put the setting on as low as possible to fold in the berries.

Step Five: Start pancakin’!

Happy travels baking!