Blackberries, raspberries and strawberries are not only great food for S.N.E.A. people but also used as medicines.
Blueberries:
Storage and Winter Food: Blueberries were an essential forage crop. Pequots dried and stored them for winter. Their longer shelf life made them valuable.
Culinary Uses: Fresh blueberries were eaten when in season. They were also incorporated into various other meals such as Nasamp
Strawberries:
Early Enjoyment: Strawberries have been enjoyed by indigenous peoples in North and South America for thousands, of years.
Cultivation and Varieties: While wild strawberries were smaller and sweeter, cultivated varieties emerged in the 17th century. The name “strawberry” refers to the plant’s habit of “straying.”
Seasonal Celebration: June was known as the “Strawberry Moon.” Pequots celebrated it with events like the Strawberry Moon thanksgiving where strawberry beverages and strawberry desserts are enjoyed
Blackberries:
Food and Preservation: Pequots ate ripe blackberries fresh, mixed them with wild game meat to dried and stored them for later consumption.
Blueberries:
Medicinal Applications: Pequots used various parts of the blueberry plant (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits) for medicinal purposes 1.
Blackberries:
Medicinal Uses: Blackberries were used to treat various conditions, including cancer, dysentery, diarrhea, sore throat, and minor bleeding