So, What Color Berries Are Safe To Eat?

Any seasoned prepper is not going to rely on luck when it comes to keeping themselves and their loved ones fed during a survival situation.

Unfortunately, no matter how well you prepare there is always a risk that you will run out of stored food.

Even if you don’t make use of the wild edibles around you, it is still a wise idea to know what you can find in the early fall or what poisonous berries you should avoid like the plague.

One of the most common and nutritious wild edibles around the world are the various species of berries. Now before you go and eat some random berries you should learn which ones are safe, or at least what color of berries are safe to eat.

There is no color that is universally safe to eat, but there is no color that is universally dangerous, either. Both edible and toxic berries can be found in all common colors including black, purple, blue, white, red and yellow.

Huckleberries can be purple or nearly black and are safe, while Pokeweed berries are nearly identical with a deep purple color, but are highly dangerous.

Luckily for us, dealing with berries is a far sight simpler than rolling the dice on an unknown or potentially dangerous mushroom.

You still don’t want to be taking your chances if you don’t have to, but with just a little bit of research and some common sense you’ll be reliably snacking on tasty nutritious berries found growing throughout the seasons.

Don’t Put Unknown Berries to the Taste Test

It goes without saying that you should never risk your life or health by eating berries of unknown type. The toxic compounds found in berries are less harmful than poisonous mushrooms.

That being said, eating the wrong berries can make you very sick, causing stomach cramps, while eating a lot of them can severely compromise your immune system.

Some of the worst offenders, which happen to appear quite tasty, can even inflict significant organ damage or cause your heart to lose its rhythm.

Unfortunately, the greater body of prepper lore is sometimes contaminated by well meant but ineffective advice as to what kinds of berries are safe to eat, or at least safer to eat.

This advice typically revolves around the color of the berry and what percentage of berries typically possessed of that color are safe or toxic.

Often advice on the subject will advise readers to avoid all berries of white and yellow color because berries of that color are almost always toxic and rarely edible.

You might also read that about half of red or “ruby” colored berries are safe to eat with the other half being anywhere from mildly toxic to ferociously poisonous. And so on and so forth, with the majority of blue or blackberries being safe.

The problem is that advice of this type is just not very useful or actionable in any circumstances that can reasonably be imagined.

Under what conditions will you be so hungry, or so starved that you are willing to take a chance with an unknown type of berry based on its color alone?

I am not asserting that such a scenario cannot or has not happened; just that it is unlikely you will ever be put to the test in such a way.

And even if you were, I guess it is nice knowing you should take your chances with a blue or black berry first before you try any others, but that still does not tell us very much about the risks involved.

The same could be said for red berries, as I don’t know anyone who would play those odds, and I don’t know anybody who would risk eating a white or yellow berry if the old proverb is to be believed.

A much better and far simpler solution is to simply spend a little time getting intimately acquainted with both the edible and inedible berries that grow in your region or in any region that you regularly work or travel in.

Once you do this, you will be able to safely and easily choose from all the varieties of berries growing in your area without fear.

The Universal Field Edibility Test

Okay, for whatever reason you have got to have something to eat and the closest thing in hand is an unknown species of berry.

You don’t want to go hungry, you sure don’t want to starve, but you also don’t want to risk making a bad situation worse or even killing yourself by eating toxic berries. You have a berry bush in front of you, but you don’t know a thing about it. What do you do?

You use this simple test. Note that it is not 100% foolproof, but it is generally highly effective at alerting you to berries you should not eat prior to going whole hog and eating half a bushel. It might be too late then!

The test is slow, cautious and methodical and that’s why it works. You can even get into the habit of using it on berries that you know are edible, like wild strawberries.

Follow the steps below:

First, give the berries a strong sniff. Any odd odor or distinctly unpleasant odor is usually a sign that you don’t want to eat it.

Second, gently rub the berry on the skin of your inner wrist or inner elbow for a few minutes. Wait, and if you notice any burning, numbness, irritation or other malady do not eat the berries.

Third, repeat that part of the test using a little bit of juice from the berry. Observe and feel for any reaction.

Fourth, rub the berry on your lips and observe and feel for any reaction as with steps two and three. If you notice any unpleasantness do not eat the berry.

Fifth, take a tiny bite of the berry and simply hold it on your tongue for 10 to 15 minutes. If the berries start to taste bitter, coppery or like a mouthful of soap, spit them out and rinse your mouth out. Definitely do not eat those berries.

The last step, take a small bite and swallow. Wait a couple of hours or as long as you can to determine if there is any adverse reaction. After a few hours, so long as you are in good health you should be okay to eat the berries in question.

Again, this test is in no way completely foolproof as certain berries build up toxicity in your body over time, or even take more than a few hours for the effects of their toxins to register.

In the remainder of this article we will share with you five kinds of berries you should look out for in order to supplement your rations while in the field, and five you should avoid no matter how hungry you are.

Nutritious Berries – Eat These!

✅ Chokeberries (Aronia)

Not to be confused with chokecherries which have some issues with toxicity, but may be made edible. Chokeberries, on the other hand, are tasty if a little bit tangy, and commonly found growing in swamps, wetlands and moist woodland environments.

They are endemic to the eastern part of North America and range in color from black to purple to red. They are tasty raw and also easily made into all kinds of sweet dishes and condiments.

✅ Mulberry (Morus)

Mulberries look a lot like raspberries, if larger and oftentimes less symmetrical in appearance.

The berry clusters on the stem are plentiful, and grow in subtropical, humid regions all over the globe, and are renowned for juicy sweetness and coveted for use and jellies and jams, syrups and other foods.

These are an especially good berry to locate if they grow in your region because they are packed with vitamins, potassium and magnesium, and are one of the few berries with a significant iron content.

✅ Huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum)

If you want a tasty, nutritious and plentiful berry to dine on in a survival situation you should make huckleberries your, well, huckleberry.

Huckleberries look an awful lot like blueberries, with a color that varies from purplish black to a very dark blue though some examples are red and still entirely safe to eat.

The berries themselves are usually round, firm and plump. Huckleberries are known for being tart, but if you pick them when they are completely ripe they have a pleasant, floral sweetness that offsets this. These berries are another excellent source of nutrition in the wild.

✅ Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)

Elderberries somewhat resemble blueberries or huckleberries in appearance, only they grow in bunches on reddish vines. Elderberries are filled with antioxidants and vitamin C. Elderberries do require some prep for the most part.

First, these are a decidedly tart berry, and something of an acquired taste if they are not processed into a sweeter dish. Elderberries are also mildly, mildly toxic, causing nausea when eaten raw in large quantities.

Luckily, the compound responsible for causing the nausea cannot survive high heat and so cooking them will completely neutralize it. This explains elderberry’s popularity as an ingredient in all kinds of syrups, beverages and wine.

✅ Muscadines (Vitis rotundifolia)

Muscardines are definitely one of the stranger edible berries you will run across, but you should definitely partake of them if you can find them and positively identify them.

Muscadines appear sort of like large grapes and possess a typically brownish color although they can range from this to plum and even black.

This is another edible wild berry that is absolutely crammed with vitamins and minerals, and it also provides fiber. Perhaps the only downside to muscadines is their somewhat strange flavor, often sweet, but also possessing an odd musky note.

✅Gooseberries

Gooseberries and currants come from the same family and they are a summer berry that can be eaten straight off the plant. Gooseberries are known for the high content of quercetin, an antioxidant with lots of health benefits.

These berries are brightly colored and will fall between the red and yellow spectrums, with some even being orange. They are mainly spherical but have been observed as ovals as well.

The flavor has been described as a melon, cucumber fresh taste. Depending on the berry some people even taste a sour grape when they eat them. If you’re looking for an edible berry to indulge in, these are a good option.

Toxic Berries – Avoid These!

❌ Holly berries

The holly shrub is a time-honored, beautiful and traditional ornamental that is often enjoyed during the winter seasons and close to Christmas, and part of its appeal are the incredibly gorgeous, glossy red berries.

The berries are apparently too tempting to children and animals because dozens to hundreds fall ill or die every year from ingesting them.

The alluring but highly toxic berries contain all kinds of poisons that can cause a range of symptoms ranging from intestinal agony to vomiting, diarrhea and nausea. In high doses they can induce comas.

❌ Pokeweed berries

The berries of the strange looking pokeweed plant are a deep purple to black color and a favorite among birds and various other animals.

But if you are not one of these few critters that may dine safely on pokeweed berries you can expect interrupted breathing and potentially asphyxiation from respiratory paralysis if you eat them or any other part of the plant.

The roots in particular contain extremely high amounts of toxin. Avoid these at all costs.

❌ Virginia Creeper berries

The Virginia creeper is a hateful nuisance or a beautiful ornamental depending on who you ask as it grows virtually everywhere and can even unsettle foundations in its quest for moisture, so voracious is the plant.

It produces beautiful flowers and attractive black or purplish berries. Unfortunately these berries are high in oxidizing acid levels, acids that can mangle your kidneys.

Birds are the only species that can partake of these berries without harm. It only takes a couple to destroy your kidneys, so be careful.

❌ Mistletoe berries

The ethereal, white, and dangerous berries of the mistletoe plant stand at odds with its traditional place of honor at holiday celebrations.

There are many varieties of mistletoe. Generally, all parts of the plant are dangerous, including the berries.

Mistletoe poisoning results in blurry vision, seizure, vomiting, diarrhea and potentially even heart attack.

Death is comparatively rare unless someone steeps tea from or adds mistletoe berries or leaves to a beverage, as the toxin is particularly liquid soluble.

❌ Yew berries

The yew tree is one with a distinguished history, equally famous for its pride of place at religious sites and cemeteries as its wood that gave birth to some of the best bows of the era.

Unfortunately every single component of this coniferous tree is poisonous and often highly so, with the one notable exception of the flesh of the olive-like berries that surround the seeds.

Nonetheless, ingesting the appetizing looking berries will still result in severe poisoning from the skin and the seed itself, and the toxins ingested act quickly and are readily absorbed making it extremely dangerous.

Parts of the yew plant maintain their toxicity even after being dried out or cooked and the tree is notorious for killing both domestic and wild animals.

❌Poison Sumac

Poison sumac falls into the same category as poison ivy and poison oak. It will always grow as a tree or bush and has very little use to us as a society. The interesting thing is that it is known as a deciduous shrub but can grow as sturdy and stocky as a tree.

The berries grow in clusters and will start off green before slowly turning white. Although we cannot eat them, they are a common food for birds and deer during the summer.

❌The Nightshades

The nightshade family of plants is known to be toxic to humans and shouldn’t be eaten. They can be found all over including Asia, Europe and eastern North America.

The nightshade family of berries include:

• Bittersweet nightshade
• Jerusalem cherries
• Woody nightshade
• Deadly nightshade

Generally they have black, shiny berries that look edible. Make no mistake, two or more berries can turn out fatal for anyone eating them.

Conclusion

You cannot rely on the color of a berry alone to determine its suitability for eating. Berries in all colors can prove to be both nutritious and tasty, or they could prove to be hideously poisonous, capable of making you terribly sick or even killing you outright.

Aside from performing a slow and methodical field edibility test on an unknown berry the only way to know for certain that a berry is good for eating is by positively identifying it as such.