Chuckley Pear (Saskatoon berry)

In my recently published book (Boulder Publications, 2020) I talk about harvesting a range of berries, including blueberries, wild blackberries, bakeapple, cranberry, snowberry, crowberry, dewberry, dogberry, northern wild raisin, partridgeberry and the book also includes wonderful recipes from the many chefs with whom I have worked.

For starters here, let’s pay tribute to the wonderful fruit, known in western Canada as saskatoon, but locally called chuckley pear.   

What is it?

Chuckley pear is a short tree, usually between one and three metres in height, but it can reach eight metres in certain locations.   Its oval leaves have toothed edges.  Its white five-petalled flowers are among the first spring blooms. Chuckley pear fruit are round to oblong and change colour from pink-red to purple to near black, as they ripen.

Six species of chuckley pear are found in Newfoundland; all chuckley pear trees bear edible fruit.  Trees grow along the edges of old trails, in forests and disturbed areas, and on riverbanks.

How to harvest?

Harvest chuckley pears when they are deep purple to black and slightly soft to the touch.  Do not wait too long — ripe chuckley pears are a favourite of birds.  You can also collect the aromatic spring buds from the tree: they taste and smell like almond marzipan.

How to use them

You can eat chuckley  pears as fresh fruit and they can also be used to make fruit wine.  Chuckley pears are great in pies, tarts, jam or chutney.  Spring flower buds can be infused in alcohol to make a subtly flavoured liqueur.  

bout the Author: Shawn Dawson

Shawn Dawson is a local grower and forager and author of the book The Forager’s Dinner (Boulder Publications, 2020). He has been growing and gathering food here in Newfoundland since he was very young and has steadily added to his knowledge of cultivated and wild plants. He has harvested chaga fungus and learned how to make remarkable pickles and preserves from natural ingredients. In recent years he has been supplying local chefs and producers of beer and spirits with natural ingredients for unique new products. As a vendor at the St. John's Farmer's Market, he is well known for his wild gathered mushrooms, berries and wild greens.