Bear candy is the tender spring cane-shoots of a wild relative of the garden-raspberry. In the greater Pacific Northwest of the US, this plant, R. spectabilis, is a ranking – and rank – invasive native weed. Those who work in the brush in this region, in the landscaping trades, or just take care of their own property … know that it easily shows the non-native demon-Rubus, Himalaya Blackberry, how invasion is really done.
is a popular-name applied to a variety of wild food plants, and it will be used for different items in different areas. Rubus, especially Salmonberry, R. spectabilis, is a ranking contender for the name where it occurs because (unlike plenty of supposedly edible plants) it is acceptable to people; even nibbled with some relish by children. Rubus sps. send up a new cane-shoot in the spring, which are a tender, crispy-crunchy vegetable, very similar to the way asparagus spears come up.
Salmonberry makes new shoots that will come up next spring, in the fall. They probably make both cane and runner-shoots, late in the season, which lie dormant until next spring. We uncover & see these white, very tender parts when tearing out unwanted weedy salmonberry-brush. The underground parts are shallow, usually in soft, rich loamy soil. If the ground is not frozen, they could be harvested as “blanched” Bear Candy, all winter. More work than just snapping them off at the surface come spring, though.
For wild-foodies, the flag on this Bear Candy is that in-season it can be harvested in-quantity. Now, it would be prudent & indicated – as always – to experiment with eating it little by little, and stage by stage. Try just a nibble in the morning