It is that time of year again, the time when you can find carloads of people traveling up to their secret mountain destination in pursuit of one of our great treasures, the Montana Huckleberry. While this past weekend was my first official trip into the mountains to refill the annual stock, I was reminded of the season the previous weekend during a wilderness backpacking trip when we were slowed a bit because we kept stopping along the trail to forage on the tasty red and purple beauties.
Huckleberries in Montana come in various color shades between red and dark purple. They are a little more tart and flavorful than their Blueberry cousins, are of the genus “Vaccinium” of which three species account for most of the berries commonly found in western Montana.
Huckleberries grow in both shaded and sunny areas. The plants themselves can be fussy about producing berries being affected by a variety of factors. Sometimes the plants produce, and sometimes they do not. There is no guarantee that an area which was good the year before will be the same the following year. In my experience finding the berries is almost like looking at an optical illusion. You may walk right past a loaded bush and not even notice. But once you have trained your eye, you will have no trouble spotting them.
In the mountains of western Montana, Huckleberries can generally be found between 4,000 to 7,000 feet. They typically ripen from mid-July (at lower elevations) through mid-September. Some people are reluctant to share their secret berry-picking spots and may not even tell their closest friends. However, I have found that many folks are willing to share at least the general area where they like to pick. Around the Flathead common areas for picking include Big (Whitefish) Mountain; Crane Mountain, southeast of Bigfork; the mountains around Hungry Horse Reservoir and Blacktail Mountain, near Lakeside.
If you have a large family, take everyone along for a berry picking outing because it may take a while to pick a gallon or two. As they say “many hands make light work”. Also, don't forget to bring some bear spray along just in case you run into one seeking to fatten up for the long winter.
Whole industries of commercial Huckleberry products abound in Montana and include everything from traditional jams, pies, chocolate covered berries, to scented soaps, salad dressing and even barbecue sauce. There are all kinds of recipes available for huckleberries, but nothing beats a bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with a handful of the fresh mountain gems. Below is a traditional recipe for Huckleberry pie from the US Forest Service 1954 Lookout Cookbook. So get out and enjoy the season.
Huckleberry Pie
2 tablespoons flourSift flour and sugar together, add berries and mix well. Pour into pastry-lined pie tin, moisten edge of dough with water, cover with top crust and make openings for steam to escape. Press pastry well over edge and trim. Bake in moderately hot oven for about 45 minutes or until crust is brown.
Montana Huckleberry Picking Guide