Red, white, and black currants
Tart, sweet, and packed with vitamins, the different varieties of currants are a splash of color – and deliciousness – by themselves or in yogurts and cereals. Pick up a stem with a bunch of berries and clean them off altogether or pick them off one by one, savoring the flavor. Locals turn them into jams, preserves, and mors – a cold summer drink. You’ll also find them as toppings on cakes and desserts.
Gooseberries
These light-green berries grow on spiky bushes to protect all the sugary yumminess inside. Some are covered with a little bit of fuzz and some are smooth. Red and purple tend to be sweeter than green, but when ripe, all are a juice-bursting snack. Just make sure to snip off the dry end.
Blueberries
If you make your way into the forest this time of year, particularly after a few rains, you could find yourself surrounded by blueberries – feel free to forage till your teeth are blue (and they will be). Oftentimes looking more black than blue, this berry is also a popular topping and a key ingredient in jams, pastry fillings, desserts, and even ice cream.
Chanterelles
As the mushroom hunting season gets underway, these bright-yellow “foxes” – as they’re called in Russian --make for a perfect easy meal. Wash them, snip off the ends, and fry them up with onions and potatoes. Add a dollop of sour cream, and you’ve got yourself a restaurant-quality dinner.
You might also see other mushrooms for sale but they might require special prep, so it’s safer to avoid them and stick with chanterelles.
Make sure to wash any produce, mushrooms, and berries thoroughly before consuming it. Check out our favorite summer activities and foods to try over the next month.
