Harvesting Toyon

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Part of my appreciation of our native desert plants comes from the indispensable gifts that these plants have provided for millennia to humans, wildlife, birds, insects, soils, and the whole ecosystem. Indigenous peoples have long valued and used native desert plants for food, medicine, healing, shelter, clothing, utensils, and ceremony.

Toyon, or Christmas Berry, produces clusters of bright red berries that persist all winter, providing perfect holiday decorations for mantels, wreaths, and centerpieces. Native Americans used the cooked or dried berries for food and beverages, and used the leaves for dyes and paints. Today Toyon berries are used to make fruit leathers, cider, cooking spice, and a cranberry-like sauce. Read on for how to prepare these abundant fruits to enjoy at your table.

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Part of my appreciation of our native desert plants comes from the indispensable gifts that these plants have provided for millennia to humans, wildlife, birds, insects, soils, and the whole ecosystem. Indigenous peoples have long valued and used native desert plants for food, medicine, healing, shelter, clothing, utensils, and ceremony.

I would like to share some of these uses that we can incorporate into our lives today, but this comes with a responsibility to reciprocate thoughtful care and stewardship for these tenacious but fragile desert dwellers. I always encourage respectful harvesting and mindful use of our native plants (join one of our workshops to find out how! We prepare these native plants for you to taste, drink, smell, touch, and experience).

I also strongly encourage the purchase and planting of native plants in our own yards, especially if we want to harvest their gifts regularly (see our section, Native Plant Nurseries, for southwest nurseries that sell California native plants). By incorporating plants into our yards that are native to our own region, we also help sustain native butterflies, native bees, birds, wildlife, and migration corridors for all of them, as well as reducing our dependence on added water, fertilizers, and pesticides in our yards. Growing plants that thrive in our climate also reduces our time and cost to maintain our yard). It is truly a win-win scenario.

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Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) berries are ready for harvest from late fall into winter when they turn bright red. We have been picking clusters from our yard the past few weeks to use for holiday arrangements, and are sharing them with friends for their decorations. We still have plenty to share with the birds who also love the berries. After the holiday decor comes down, save the berries to dry and use as a cooking spice or to make toyon cider. Toyon is a member of the rose family, and like its cousin, the apple, its fruits are technically considered pomes, not berries. For our discussion here, however, we will call toyon fruits “berries.” They are either bland or bitter when fresh, but are transformed into sweeter fruits when either dried or cooked.

Some traditional uses for the berries include:

Toyon fruit leather ~ Fresh berries are simmered, then blended in a food processor, sweetened, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, then spread thin onto parchment and dehydrated. Here is the recipe from the “Living Wild Project” book. I make this and it is very tasty.

• Collect berries in winter
• 4 cups fresh Toyon berries
• ½ cup water
• Lemon juice
• Manzanita sugar, agave or honey
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

METHOD

• Rinse berries and remove stems.
• Place in a pot and cover with water.
• Simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add desired sweetener, lemon juice and spices to taste.
• Cook for another 5 minutes.
• Blend through food processor or blender until smooth.
• Pour a thin layer about 1/8 ” thick onto a baking sheet.
• Let dry in the oven, food dehydrator, or sun, covered with cheesecloth.
• Cut into strips.

Toyon cider ~ Cover dried berries with water, bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes while crushing them; strain the berries out and sweetening the “cider” with honey or agave. Both the color and aroma of Toyon cider are very pleasant. Fresh berries can be used, but dried berries are much sweeter.

Toyon “wild berry” sauce ~ Fresh berries are simmered in apple juice, sweetened with honey, thickened with arrowroot, and spiced with orange zest. Here is another recipe from the “Living Wild” book: 

• Collect berries in winter
• 1 cup fresh Toyon berries (stems removed)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup apple juice
• ½ cup honey
• 1 tbsp arrowroot or organic cornstarch
• 1 tbsp grated orange zest

METHOD

• Mix berries, apple juice and honey in a pan and bring to a boil.
• Simmer for 15 minutes.
• Stir arrowroot or cornstarch into 2 tbsp apple juice.
• Pour into berries and stir constantly while bringing to a boil.
• Remove from heat and add orange zest.
• Allow to cool before serving.
• Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Toyon berry spice ~ Grind dried berries into a fine powder, then combine with other flours or use as a spice for a tangy, fruity taste.

Winter bouquet including Toyon berries, strawberry tree fruit, sugarbush, and California juniper.

Toyon is a perfect plant for landscaping as well as for decor and food. It is fire-retardant and extremely drought-tolerant, which makes it a smart choice for southwest yards. Toyon creates a beautiful evergreen windbreak, screen, or hedge when left as a multi-branched shrub, reaching heights of 8-12 feet tall. It can be trained, however, into a large tree-like specimen by trimming side branches and leaving just one to several main upright branches; older plants are capable of reaching heights 25-30 feet tall. Songbirds are attracted to this “giving” plant. We encourage you to invite this valuable and versatile native plant into your own yard.

Clockwise photos from upper left:

1. Toyon shrub in fruit
2. Toyon flowers 
3. Toyon ripe berries ready to harvest
4. Toyon berries harvested
5. Toyon berries simmering in water
6. Toyon fruit leather drying

Toyon plant parts traditionally used:

• Fruits – Used dried or cooked to eat; dried to make a beverage
• Leaves – Soaked in potash overnight; alum added, then dried and ground for red paint