An American Favorite :

Heartberry Shortcake

I know it is a little late in the year to be thinking about berries, heartberry, and shortcake (recipes below), but it is never too early to start thinking about next spring and what could be growing with a little patience and preparation.

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“Ever thought about picking wild berries or even planting and starting your own wild berry patch? It is not as hard as you would think. Native plants require little care.”

The heartberry is the first berry of the year. This wild red berry is heart-shaped and sends out runners similar to arteries, so named by Native American Indians as representative of the heart. It is the only fruit with seeds growing on the outside. Heartberry shortcake is a favorite dessert among Americans, sought after in peoples’ homes and restaurants alike. It first appears in early spring, and is also a berry many birds and animals feed on.

This berry was renamed by early American settlers as the strawberry. There are differences in opinion on why the name was changed, since heartberry is a more accurate description due to its shape, color, and heart benefits. Strawberries were often covered with straw for bedding purposes. Young boys used to sell individual strawberries on a piece of straw. Some say it looks like there are small bits of straw in the berry itself. The English term refers to the plants erratic straying habit.

 

 The wild strawberry can be found almost anywhere growing in woodlands and open fields producing small white flowers in clusters or singly blooming in late spring or early summer. The blooms last for about 2 months. They are hardy in zones 3-10 and are smaller and sweeter than store-bought hybrid strawberries. They can be grown in containers, hanging baskets or used as a border or ground cover. Harvest is from April to June.

Heartberry is often thought as representative of the family, sending out new shoots that continuously recreate new families. It is dug up whole and stored in a cool, dry, dark place in the fall. They were  dried for winter use in soups and breads and flavoring for meat dishes and pemmican. Heartberry was used to restore loss of blood during child birth.

The month of June is known by many Native Americans as the Strawberry Moon and
strawberry moon tea and strawberry pan cake is served during powwows by various tribes.

Spirit of the Berry

Cree, Chippewa, and Iroquois along with other Native Americans, knew strawberries as heartberries, believing them to be king among the sacred fruit and bravest among all of the small berries because they would be the first to appear in spring. They are referred to as the spirit of the blood, giving forth the power of love to promote healing of the body and the soul thereby creating harmonious relationships.

Story of the Strawberry 

Man and woman were created by the Great Spirit and they lived happily for a time, but soon began to quarrel. The wife leaves the husband toward the setting sun in the west. The Great Spirit saw that the man was unhappy, so he created berries along the wife’s path. She passed up all the berries she came to until she discovered the strawberry which she stopped to gather. In so doing, her husband caught up to her and she shared the strawberries with him. They were both pleased and returned home together. The berries were then named heartberry.

 Benefits of the Strawberry

1 cup of strawberries contains 55 calories with an abundance of Vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, manganese and potassium and in lesser amounts iron, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin b6, vitamin K and vitamin E.

Strawberries mainly consist of water (91%) their total carb content is very low (less than 12 grams of carbs per cup) and carbohydrates (7.7%).

The net digestible carbohydrate content is less than 6 grams for every 100 grams of strawberries. This means that strawberries should not lead to big spikes in blood sugar levels, and are considered safe for diabetics.

About 26% of the carb content of strawberries is in the form of fiber.
1 cup of strawberries provides 3 grams of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Dietary fibers are important to feed the friendly bacteria in the gut and improve digestive health. They are also useful for weight loss, and can help prevent many diseases.

Strawberries contain only minor amounts of fat (0.3%) and protein (0.7%).

Strawberries contain high amounts of beneficial plant compounds and antioxidants
and may decrease the risk of heart disease by improving the cholesterol profile, lowering blood pressure and reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.

Warning: Strawberry allergy may be common, especially in children. Individuals who are sensitive to birch pollen, or have apple allergy, may experience allergic symptoms after consuming strawberries.

Other fun and interesting facts about strawberries

Ancient Romans used the strawberry for medicinal purposes to relieve a variety of maladies, including kidney stones and melancholy.

It has been used as a health tonic to stimulate the appetite. Its leaves used to clean teeth.

A prominent lady in the court of Napoleon bathed in a bath of 22 pounds of strawberries.

Native Americans used strawberries in clothing designs, for post-partum bleeding, as an astringent, an anti-diarrhetic and an anti-inflammatory.

Planting Wild Strawberry

Wild strawberries are simple to grow. It prefers full sun, rich soil and moist soil
although it will tolerate partial shade and slightly dry conditions also. Soil should
have good organic matter with good drainage. The plant should have plenty of
space and will form a nice ground cover 6-12” high. They spread by runners and
rhizomes to create new plants which can be divided in early spring as new plants
form. After the strawberry plant is established there is very little care except to
keep it watered during hot weather until the fruit is harvested.

When planting, keep the crowns above ground level and water well, add
compost to the top of the soil and mulch with straw.

Varieties of Wild Strawberries

Fragaria virginiana has small, tasty berries and light green leaves.
Fragaria chiloensis has shiny dark green leaves, less tasty and sweet.
Fragaria vesca has larger tasty berries, flowers, and bluish leaves found in shady wooded areas with moist soil.

To Find Plants Native to your Area

You can learn about plants native to your area by contacting a local chapter of the Audubon Society.   Many Audubon Society Associations will have one to two native plant sales per year.

Following are four recipes for strawberry treats!

Heartberry Shortcake

Note: Although this is not the original recipe the Pilgrims used, it is believed to be very similar.

For the Shortcake:

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup stoneground cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons butter, cut in pieces
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Whisk together all dry ingredients.
4. Add butter and rub together to mix, (will not be smooth).
5. Mix milk, syrup, and egg in separate bowl and add to dry ingredients, using a fork until
barely mixed.
6. Drop by spoonful on baking sheet making 12 mounds and brush tops lightly with milk.
7. Bake 13-15 minutes until lightly browned.

For the Strawberries:
4 cups strawberries (wild berries may be left whole, otherwise slice)
2 tablespoons of sugar
1. Smash 1 cup strawberries in bowl with sugar.
2. Add remaining berries, chill until ready to serve.

For the Whip Cream:
2 cups cold heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla or maple extract
3 tablespoons sugar
Mix all ingredients together with mixer until soft peaks form.

To Serve:
1. Cut biscuits in half and place strawberries on lower half.
2. Place top half on strawberries, top with whip cream and serve.

Rustic Strawberry Shortcake
Another version of strawberry shortcake from

A SPICY PERSPECTIVE

For the Shortcakes:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar (plus 2 tablespoons for tops)
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk (or half & half) plus (1 tablespoon for tops)

For the Strawberries:
5 cups slice strawberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar

For the Whipped Cream:
2 cups cold heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions

1. Place 1 cup of strawberries in a large bowl and smash them with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Use the back of a ladle or a wooden spoon to do this. Mix with the rest of the berries into the bowl and chill until ready to serve.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar in food processor. Pulse to mix.
3. Chop the cold butter into cubes and add to the processor. Pulse the processor several times until the pieces are the size of peas. Add 1 egg and 1/2 cup whole milk to the food processor. Pulse one or two times, until just combine. You still want to see butter clumps.
4. Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and shape with your hands into a rectangle about 3/4-1 inch thick. Use a 3″cookie cutter to cut out 6-8 shortcakes.
5. Place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.. Brush the shortcakes with milk and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar over the tops.
6. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden. Cool the shortcakes for just a few minutes.
7. Whip the heavy cream in an electric mixer, with the vanilla and 3 tablespoons of sugar, until soft peaks form.
8. Find a crack in the side of each shortcake and gently separate them into tops and bottoms. Spoon berries over the bottom half of each shortcake, add a large dollop of whipped cream, and place the shortcake top on the cream. Serve immediately.

Native Fruit Drink (Strawberry Moon Tea)

4 cups water
1 cup wild strawberries
Honey to taste

Combine water with crushed fruit. Strain if desired.
Add the honey. Chill and serve.

Wojapi (berry pudding)

4-5 cups wild strawberries
1/2 cup water
Honey to taste
1 tbsp cornstarch (optional)

1. Clean the fruit and place in bowl to mash with a potato masher.
2. In large saucepan, bring fruit and water to a bowl stirring constantly.
3. Lower heat and continue to simmer about 1 hour checking and stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
4. Add Honey a little at a time for desired sweetness if needed.
Note: To make a thicker sauce whisk cornstarch in a bowl with cold water to create the desired consistency.
5. Add slowly to hot berries, stirring constantly.

Use Wojapi as an ice cream topping, a spread for cornbread, or as an addition to grits or yogurt. Add peppers to Wojapi to create a great steak sauce.

I hope you enjoy your new-found knowledge of the “heartberry” and experiment with these tasty recipes.

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