Huckleberry

rate this term Rate this term

A small, magenta-colored berry harvested from low growing shrubs that are commonly found in Great Britain and northern Europe. It is most commonly used for jams, syrups, desserts, muffins, salad dressings, and herbal teas, in which it may also be labeled or referred to as the whortleberry. Sometimes confused with or referred to as a bilberry, it is not the same berry, and instead has a glossy outer skin that is thicker and covers a sharper tasting pulp than the bilberry. In the United States, the huckleberry is also often mistaken for a blueberry, which is typically smaller and not as tart.

Once harvested, this berry should be refrigerated as soon as possible to reduce the loss of flavor. Caution should be noted that a variety referred to as "Garden Huckleberry" may be confused with the species of edible huckleberry often harvested for its fruit. The Garden Huckleberry is a member of the nightshade family of plants, yielding poisonous leaves and inedible toxic berries that may cause harm in various stages of ripening.