Despite all efforts, huckleberries are scarce this time of the year. Even if you spent last summer, hiking on the hillsides looking for huckleberries, your stash may be depleted.
Don’t despair! I know of the best huckleberry product in the Pacific Northwest: Gem Berry Products!
Gem Berry Products is one of the oldest Idaho gourmet food companies still in operation!
Here is their story:
Couples Harry and Betty Menser, and Jack and Elizabeth O’Brien, started Gem Berry Products, Inc. – based in Sandpoint, Idaho – in April of 1992.
Harry, who recently turned 90 years old, is the lone surviving member of that foursome. Originally, they started with jam and syrup products made from raspberries raised by the O’Briens on their cattle ranch in the Hoodoo Valley of northern Idaho.
The business expanded immediately into what is now the Idaho state fruit – wild huckleberries – with their own jams and syrups, and as the co-packer for the huckleberry division of Litehouse Foods, a large refrigerated dressing manufacturer based in Idaho. Eventually, they purchased that division from Litehouse in 2004.
The two couples decided to start the value-added berry processing enterprise to coincide with the opening of the Bonner Business Center (BBC) kitchen in Sandpoint. This remained their business location until the BBC closed the kitchen on October 1 of 2014.
Harry still runs the business today from his home on Lake Pend Oreille, while continuing to process huckleberry products.
Besides the jam (two sizes) and syrups (was two sizes, now just one), wild huckleberry products processed in-house include the following:
- Barbecue sauce, lemonade concentrate, sugar-free spread, honey
- A smorgasbord of popular gift boxes
- Huckleberry tea and coffee
- Candy products including taffy, bark, cordials, and other products made under the Gem Berry label by specialty manufacturers.
If you are looking for some great tasting huckleberry products, you can order them online: Gem Berry Products
Or if you are local to the Sandpoint, Spokane, Coeur d Alene areas in Idaho/Washington, check out the list of retailers here
