Douglas County Conservation District                                                                         ~Helping People Help the Land~                                                                                                            

by promoting projects through education to further the long- term sustainable   use of natural resources balancing the needs of agriculture and urban growth

                

                                                                            PO Box 688, 7519 E. Hwy 86, Franktown, CO 80116

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Buffaloberry Recipes

Blossoms:  late April to mid May
Ripens:  mid July to August

To some, the raw fruit tastes sweeter and less acidic after frost.  The fruit is a roundish, one-seeded berry about 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide, scarlet to golden in color when ripe, and grouped along the stem.

Buffaloberry Jelly

For every 2 quarts of fruit, add 1 cup of water and crush in a kettle.  Boil slowly for 10 minutes, stirring often.  Drain off juice.  It will be milky.  For each 1 cup of juice, add 1 cup of sugar.  Bring to a boil and boil until it jells.  It will turn a pale to deep orange when you add the sugar.   Pour into sterilized jars.  Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

If the fruit is extremely ripe or has been through several frosts, you might want to use the recipe with either  Surejell or MCP pectin; before a frost the fruit contains enough pectin to jell by itself.

Drying Buffaloberries - Native American Method

  1. Wash berries and remove stems.
  2. Put berries in a food grinder or grind on a stone to mushy consistency, and make soft berries into patties.
  3. Place patties on wax paper in the sun (or dehydrator)
  4. Rotate these every day so they do not mold in the sun.  Patties should be dry in about a week.  If they are brittle and break when bent, they are dry.
  5. Store in a jar or can with a lid in a cool, dry place.

Buffaloberry Spicy Sauce

grated rind of 1 orange
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
4 cups buffaloberries
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves

Combine the grated rind of a fresh orange, 2 cups of water and 2 cups of granulated sugar in a saucepan.  Mix and cook over moderate heat for 10 minutes.  Add 4 cups of cleaned berries.

Cook until berries pop.  Then add 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a pinch of ground cloves and cook for 5 minutes.  Stir frequently.  Spoon mixture into a bowl and place in a refrigerator to chill.  Serve chilled.  This is a delightful red, spicy sauce and is best served with meat, as a flavoring.