Berry Picking and Akutaq

On Friday, we piled all twelve students enrolled at Pilot Point School into a truck and drove out to a section of open land near the airport.  The drive took mere minutes, but from the looks on the faces of the students, this was a grand adventure.  Upon pulling up at our destination, the students threw themselves out of the truck and took off into the tundra. Coats thrown to the side and berry-picking bags streaming behind them as they ran.

Later that night we would host a community potluck at the school, and we'd decided to pick berries and make akutaq (pronounced like uh-goo-duck) as a treat to share with the community. This meant we needed a LOT of berries. Fortunately, collecting the berries was easy work with twelve eager students to help expedite the process.  In barely an hour we had already collected multiple gallon bags of blackberries. 

After collecting the berries, we piled back into the truck and headed back to school. The students then helped us wash and sort berries and make the akutaq. The students could barely contain their excitement over the akutaq, which to them is much like eating cake or brownies would be for a student in the lower 48. I think more berries were eaten than actually made it into the dessert though, as proven by how many purple-stained mouths, teeth, and tongues there were among the students.

Cody using one of the "claws" to pick berries more quickly. 

One of our classroom aides assisted in teaching us (the newbie teachers - not the students) how to make the akutaq.  It involved crisco, berries, sugar, and oil.  In some places, other things like fish and/or animal fat can be added to the dish too.  We stuck with just berries though, and ended up with a very pretty dish that the students were proud of creating. 

At potluck, we had our two oldest students stand up and present about our day of berry picking, washing and sorting berries, and cooking. After, we all dug into the tasty food.  We had spaghetti, pasta salad, sliced ham, chips and dip (contributed by me!), fresh veggies, and a few other dishes and desserts. As always, it was fun to watch the students interacting with their families and friends in a less structured setting, and it was nice to chitchat with community members.  Mostly though, I was proud of the students and their ability to teach us, the teachers, about this part of their lifestyle.

Your turn...What are some of your favorite things to cook or bake with children?

Currently listening to...Son's Gonna Rise - Citizen Cope

Berry Picking on the Tundra

Living in Alaska often feels like one long string of adventures, mishmashed together with common, everyday moments.  It's always been one of my favorite things about life in Alaska. I absolutely love that my normal classroom routine in Juneau involved learning Tlingit language, or that walking the dogs meant carrying bear spray.  It's these little adventures that make living in Alaska such an experience.

One such experience that I had recently was berry picking.  Last Saturday, Melissa (the other teacher) and myself went out picking with a local woman, Sue.  Sue drove us down a bumpy, two-track that led out to the summer fishing camp (all the houses at camp were boarded up for the season). From there, we went on a hunt for berries and tundra plants.  As usual, I was amazed at the beauty and openness of the tundra landscape of my new home.

For my part, I've long been a berry picker, and I grew up in an agricultural hotspot. There's something just so different about berry picking here in the Alaskan Bush though.  It's sharply contrasting to the U-Pick farms in Michigan, or even to the groomed trails with their abundant berries in the mountains outside of Juneau.

Here, in Pilot Point, there are no berry bushes.  The berries grow in thick little clusters, scattered across the tundra.  This means that all berry picking is done in a sitting or squatting position.  Blueberries are much smaller than those in the lower 48 and SE Alaska.  They taste quite similar though and require handpicking and much care.  Comparatively, blackberries and cranberries are quite hardy and can be picked with a "picker."  These pickers are magical, and allowed me to collect a ridiculous amount of blackberries.  I did collect a few cranberries too, but mostly I am saving my picking of those until after the first frost (they are supposed to be much better after that).

The tundra itself makes berry picking in Pilot Point unique too.  If you've never been on the tundra, imagine it as a plush mattress or trampoline. The ground is so squishy that you sink several inches with every step.  It also holds an incredible amount of moisture, which will quickly soak the knees of your pants as you kneel to pick berries.  I learned my lesson about the wetness of the tundra quickly after kneeling to handpick a few blueberries.

After only a couple of hours I had over 1/2 gallon of berries to show for my hard work.  I was hot, sweaty, and feeling incredibly happy and content.  This feeling of happiness was only added to by the sheer vastness of the tundra, the great company of my new friends, and the delicious berries that I took home to pack away for winter.

Your turn...What are some of your favorite everyday adventures? 
Currently listening to...Alaska - Maggie Rogers