Soapberry or Soapollalie (Shepherdia canadensis)

     Soapberry or Soapollalie (Shepherdia canadensis)

Soap berries can be eaten raw or cooked and were once used as a trade item.

The fruit was usually collected by beating the branches over a canvas and then rolling the berries down over a screen and into a container to separate leaves and other debris. Because their juice is rich in saponin, soapberries become foamy when beaten. The fruit can be mixed about 4:1 with water and whipped with a French {piano-wire]Whip or an electric beater(much like egg whites; like egg whites, soapberry will not foam in plastic, or greasy containers)to make a foamy dessert which since the early 18^th century is often called “Indian Ice Cream”. The resulting foam can be truly unexpected and is quite remarkable, having a white to pale pink colour and a smooth shiny consistency, similar to the best whipped meringue. This Foam is rather bitter so was usually sweetened with tree sap or if any was available, sugar.

Preserved soapberry juice, mixed with water but not whipped makes a refreshing “Indian lemonade” (like sumac).

An Interesting Fact: The lychee (Litchi chinensis) (Chinese: 荔枝; pinyin: lì zhī) is the sole member of the genus Litchi in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. It is a tropical and subtropical fruit tree native to the Guangdong and Fujian provinces of China, and now cultivated in many parts of the world. The fresh fruit has a "delicate, whitish pulp" with a floral smell and a fragrant, sweet flavour. Since this perfume-like flavour is lost in the process of canning, the fruit is usually eaten fresh

Warning: This species contains saponin, a bitter, substance that was often used as soap. It can irritate the stomach and cause diarrhoea, vomiting, and severe cramps, if consumed in a large amount.

Grows 3-6 feet high in open woods. The flowers are pale yellow, and the leaves are green on top, silvery underneath. The berries are orange-red, sweet, acid, and aromatic; they look like rose hips, and similarly, they are sweeter after the first frost.

           

             Indian Ice Cream

1. Put 1 tablespoon of soapberries into a big bowl (there mustn't be a bit of grease in it)

2. Mash berries with 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon sugar or honey.

3. Beat until very thick, frothy, and almost white, adding a little more water as you beat
©Al (Alex-Alexander) D Girvan. All rights reserved.