Salmonberry Jam Recipe

Salmonberries: The First Wild Fruit of Spring

Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) are one of the earliest berries to ripen in Oregon, often glowing like orange and red jewels along creekbanks and forest trails as early as April. These vibrant, juicy fruits are not only beautiful—they’re a key food source for wildlife and a refreshing, lightly sweet snack for hikers and foragers.

They can also be made into a jam.

Salmonberry Jam Recipe: Ingredients:

• 4 cups salmonberries

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

Instructions:

1. Gently wash the salmonberries, removing any stems or debris. Handle them carefully, as they can be quite delicate.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the salmonberries and granulated sugar. Gently toss to coat the berries in sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for about 1 hour, allowing the berries to release their juices and the sugar to dissolve.

3. Transfer the berry mixture to a large pot or saucepan. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest (if using).

4. Place the pot over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and burning.

5. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens. This process typically takes around 20-30 minutes. To test the jam's consistency, place a small amount on a cold plate. If it sets and wrinkles when pushed with a finger, it's ready.

6. As the jam cooks, skim off any foam that forms on the surface using a spoon.

7. Once the jam has reached the desired consistency, remove the pot from the heat. Allow the jam to cool slightly.

8. While the jam is still warm, carefully ladle it into sterilized jars, leaving a little headspace at the top.

9. Wipe the jar rims clean and seal the jars with sterilized lids and bands.

10. Process the jars in a boiling water bath canner for about 10-15 minutes to ensure proper sealing. Follow appropriate canning guidelines for your altitude.

11. After processing, carefully remove the jars from the canner and let them cool on a towel or rack. You'll likely hear the satisfying "pop" of the lids as they seal.

12. Once the jars are completely cool, check that the lids have sealed properly. The lids should be concave and not move when pressed.

13. Label the jars with the date and store them in a cool, dark place. Properly sealed jam can be stored for up to a year.

14. Enjoy your homemade salmonberry jam on toast, scones, waffles, or as a topping for yogurt and desserts.

As with any canning or preserving recipe, it's crucial to follow proper sanitation and sealing techniques to ensure the safety and longevity of your homemade products. Always adhere to recommended canning practices to prevent spoilage.

🌲 Where to Find Salmonberries in the Wild

Salmonberries love moist, coastal, and low-elevation forest habitats, especially near streams or wet ditches, often growing in dense thickets beneath conifers or along logging roads. They thrive in the western Cascades, coastal rainforests, and the Columbia River Gorge.

Top trails for spotting salmonberries:

• Wahkeena Falls Trail (Columbia River Gorge)

• Ramona Falls Trail (Mount Hood)

• Cape Lookout and Cape Falcon Trails (Oregon Coast)

• Forest Park (Portland)

• Tryon Creek State Natural Area (Portland)

The plants can grow up to 8 feet tall and are easily identified by their bright pink-magenta flowers (one of the earliest spring blooms) and raspberry-like fruit that ranges in color from golden yellow to deep red.

🏡 How to Grow Salmonberries in Your Yard

Salmonberries are ideal for rewilding shady or seasonally damp corners of your yard. They’re excellent for restoring riparian edges, rain gardens, and naturalistic hedgerows.

Tips for growing salmonberries:

• Prefer partial shade to full shade, especially with morning light and afternoon shade

• Thrive in moist, rich soil—add compost or leaf mold if your site is dry

• Can spread by suckers—great for creating dense, wildlife-friendly thickets

• Tolerant of seasonal flooding and heavy clay

Once established, they require little care and will begin to spread and fruit within a few seasons.

🍇 Nutritional Benefits

Salmonberries may be mild in flavor, but they’re packed with vitamin C, polyphenols, and antioxidants. Traditionally eaten fresh, they can also be made into syrups, jellies, or added to baked goods, though their high water content makes them best used quickly after harvest.

📅 When They’re Ripe

Salmonberries ripen April through June, making them one of the first berries available in Oregon.

Ripe salmonberries are:

• Bright orange to dark reddish-orange (color varies by plant)

• Soft, plump, and slightly translucent

• Easy to pull from the stem with minimal effort

Avoid pale, firm berries—those are underripe and bitter.

✋ Harvesting Tips

Salmonberries are delicate but less fragile than thimbleberries, making them easier to collect and transport.

• Harvest early in the day, when berries are cool and firm

• Use a shallow basket or plastic container

• Gently twist the berry from the stem without squeezing

• Only harvest what you’ll eat or use immediately—berries spoil quickly

🐝 Who Benefits from Salmonberries?

Salmonberries are deeply integrated into local ecosystems:

• Pollinators, especially early-season native bees, rely on the nectar-rich flowers

• Hummingbirds visit the pink blooms in early spring

• Birds (like towhees, robins, and waxwings) eat the berries

• Bears and raccoons feast on the fruit

• Amphibians and insects find shelter in salmonberry thickets

• Their dense roots prevent erosion and stabilize streambanks

🌿 Companion Plants in the Wild

Salmonberries often grow with a suite of other native species in damp forests, including:

• Red alder (Alnus rubra)

• Sword fern (Polystichum munitum)

• Red flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum)

• Western skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus)

• Osoberry (Oemleria cerasiformis)

• Indian plum

• Douglas spirea (Spiraea douglasii)

• Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus)

• Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa)

These plants create layered, wildlife-rich communities that can be recreated in urban food forests.

🌱 Urban Rewilding & Native Food Forests

At Urban Rewilding, we believe that even a small urban yard can be transformed into a self-sustaining native food forest—a space that produces food for people, pollinators, and birds, while working in harmony with the land.

Salmonberries are just one part of this vision. They offer early-season nectar, spring fruit, and dense structure that benefits wildlife year-round. By combining salmonberries with other native berries (like red flowering currant, wild strawberries, or serviceberries), you can create a landscape that mimics Oregon’s forest edge—diverse, seasonal, and alive.

Benefits of a native food forest:

• No chemicals or fertilizers needed

• Less watering and maintenance

• Provides shade, soil improvement, and wildlife habitat

• Produces seasonal harvests for your household and local fauna

• Reconnects you with Oregon’s ecological history—and future

If you're ready to replace your lawn with something that feeds life, restores habitat, and produces beauty year after year, we’d love to help design and build that future with you.