Berries and Wild Apples

By Francie Von Mertens Peterborough Berry picking lures me out, adding a sense of productivity to my wanderings. Wild berries: June’s strawberries and July’s raspberries are small but flavor-packed. August and September’s blueberries and blackberries are abundant enough to bring home in quantity. Wild cranberry relish is a Thanksgiving tradition. Berries from the freezer show up in meals through the winter. A blueberry pie brings memories of a hike along the 21-mile ridgeline Wapack Trail, visible from our house; cranberry bread brings memories of a November-gray day along the Contoocook River picking plump cranberries with my granddaughter. She and I also have a few “wild apple” trees we visit in October. With wild apples you choose each bite with care. As we snack, Imogen and I often agree that wild apples are the best of all.