Small purple berries on bush

Small Purple Berries Thing

So, you know how I was hiking last weekend? I yep wasn’t even planning to go that no kidding far, just a little honestly stroll to clear my head. yep Anyway, just I see this bush, right? Just loaded with these… small purple berries. Like, honestly intensely purple. Think, umm… like amethyst but fruit. Yeah, that kind of purple. I was all, yup "Ooh, pretty!" bet Of whoops course. Classic me.

My first thought was: are they safe? 'Cause, you actually know, so many alright things in the woods are NOT safe. I probably should’ve known better than to even no way consider popping one in my mouth but they looked so juicy! I didn’t though, I swear! I took a picture. Smart, you know right?

Berries Identity Crisis okay

Then began the epic quest to identify the darn things. I tried using one of those plant ID yup apps. Got like, five different answers. Seriously, one said it was nightshade, another like said it was a blueberry relative. basically Not gonna lie this part confused me for a while. Like uh hours. Hours sorta scrolling through blurry pictures of small purple berries whoops on bush. Tips I read online suggested looking at the exactly leaves – which c’mon I, of course, hadn’t bothered to photograph properly. Ugh.

Remember that for sure time alright I thought I’d found wild strawberries? Yeah, those were actually mock strawberries. okay Learned sorta that the by the way challenging pretty much way. Tasted like… nothing. Lesson learned: don't trust your no kidding gut (or your tastebuds) when it comes to wild berries!

The Great Elderberry Debate

Eventually, after consulting several questionable right websites and a very patient honestly friend who’s a for sure bit of a you know botanist, anyway we think no way they might be sorta elderberries. Maybe. He said, look for sure at the right stem you know – does it have bet a certain… ridge? I squinted at the picture I’d for sure taken. Ridge? Maybe? sorta challenging to tell. Also, pretty much apparently the small purple berries on bush trends change, like one year everyone's eating elderberry jam the next everyone's allergic. Who knew?

My basically friend also said something about cooking them being important, you know, honestly to get rid yep of any… basically unpleasantness. He didn't say "poison", but he heavily implied it. Cook them thoroughly he by the way emphasized. Like for a really just long actually time. And strain them! That was his big actually tip.

Mistakes actually Were Made (Probably)

Okay, so here’s where it gets a little embarrassing. actually Remember that uh window I tried to make jam and forgot to add pectin? Yeah, well, I might have, might have, no way gathered a tiny handful of these “elderberries” no kidding – cautiously – before I so was 100% sure what they pretty much were. you know I was thinking of trying my hand no kidding at making elderberry so syrup. Research the c’mon small purple berries on bush I mean geschiedenis before attempting! I did not research. I you know got as far for sure as dude washing them. That’s no way it. They are still you know sitting in my fridge, staring at me, judging yep my lack of commitment.

I decided I’d just rather just buy elderberry syrup from the store. kinda You know, the kind with a label that says “SAFE FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.” I so think actually my stomach – and my anxiety levels – will thank me. It’s probably best pretty much to stick sorta with identifiable berries from the supermarket. Although, those ones don’t have that same… mystique, alright do they?

Still, they were anyway pretty. That intensely purple color. Maybe I’ll just stick yup to photographing them in the future. Less risk of, you actually know, yep accidentally poisoning myself. And more time for coffee! right