This seems to be my summer for foraged foods found on my friends Frank and Jane’s farm. First it was elderflowers. Now it’s wineberries. Never heard of wineberries? Until a few weeks ago, I hadn’t either. What I had done, though, was nibble on the small, scarlet, raspberry-like fruit on countless walks through the woods.

Introduced to American soil in the 1890s, the prickly wineberry shrub flourishes along roadsides, in forests and fields and any other place with moist soil and moderate sunlight. Hence why I’ve encountered them on hikes and in thickets around Frank and Jane’s farm. The shrub’s firm, juicy berries resemble raspberries in flavor and appearance. They are, in fact, a type of raspberry. Their scientific name, Rubus phoenicolasius, means ‘raspberry with purple hairs,’ undoubtedly a reference to the hairy stems to which the berries cling.

Bestowed with a bowl of these little berries, I wanted to use them in a dish that would show off their beautiful color and compact size. Putting them in a cake, pie, crumble or ice cream would just turn them to mush. A gelée, however, wouldn’t interfere with their pert shape and ruby redness.

A French, gelatin-based specialty, gelée often features champagne or fortified wine as an ingredient. The following recipe for Wineberry-Orange Gelée does not. This makes it more family-friendly but also more of a gelatin than a true gelée. When craving authenticity, I’d replace the water with champagne.

WINEBERRY-ORANGE GELÉE
If you don’t have access to wineberries, you can substitute raspberries or blackberries in this recipe.

Serves 6

1 1/4 cup fresh wineberries, rinsed
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 (.25 ounce) envelopes of gelatin
1 cup water, divided
Juice of 6 oranges (about 2 cups)
Grated zest of 2 oranges
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
Whipped cream, optional, for serving

Place the washed berries in a bowl with the sugar and lemon juice and toss to combine. Allow the wineberries to macerate for 30 minutes.

Pour half of the water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over top. Let the two steep for 5 minutes.

Place the orange juice, sugar, juice of 1 lemon and remaining water in a large saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and add the gelatin mixture. Stir again until the gelatin has dissolved.

Strain the liquid from the berries and add this to the pan. Stir to combine.

Pour equal amounts of gelatin into six decorative glasses or bowls. Spoon an equal number of wineberries into each glass. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours or maximum of 2 days. Before serving, decorate each with the optional whipped cream and orange zest.