Blast from the Past / 1989: Huckleberries by the gallon

Barbara Woodby, left, and Patricia Bryan, friends who both live in Juliaetta, hold up the fruits of their berry-pickin’ labors in this Greg Vogel photo published in the July 26, 1989, Lewiston Tribune’s Close to Home section. According to the accompanying recipe column by Charlotte Larson, the two women had been picking huckleberries for about 10 summers, selling their haul at farmers markets or sold them at a roadside stand. The two started each picking day at 6 a.m. with a drive to their parking spot and then a 30-minute hike to their picking spot. Woodby related one surprise encounter with a bear in the huckleberry patch that ended with all parties running in opposite directions. The women shared several recipes with readers including huckleberry cake, huckleberry cream cheese pie, huckleberry torte and huckleberry dumplings. Readers who would like to share their historical photos (20 years or older) from throughout the region may do so by emailing them to blasts@lmtribune.com or submitting them to: Blast from the Past, P.O. Box 957, Lewiston, ID 83501. Questions? Call Jeanne M. DePaul at (208) 848-2221.