I recently spied these glowing orange-hued berries on a hike in Seattle’s Carkeek Park, where the trails were lined with bushes dangling the fruits like jewels. I knew it was too early to pick them, but I was sure that they were salmonberries, a wild berry that is a botanical cousin to the much-maligned Himalayan blackberry. So on our next hike, in Olallie State Park, I was tempted again to taste the trail side forbidden fruit — and I did. Waves of bright, tangy juice crashed on to my tongue, slightly reminiscent of raspberries. Salmonberries can be found in wet forests and near streams from Northern California to Alaska, and are usually the first berries to ripen of the season. And now that they’re ripe, I’ll be scouring the greenbelts near our house with a basket for more! I can only imagine how good they’ll be in salads, and how cool would it be to make salmonberry jam? Have you ever foraged for wild fruit? Let us know in the comments! — Megan B.