This years fruits

[Scooter68]

Just tell them if you stop picking now they might not get any wine when it's ready in a year. They can help you pick or go without. ::

 

[Arne]

I think I'm up to about 26lbs of wild blackberries now. People are asking me when I'm going to stop picking them. I'm not sure what to say. There's going to be an intervention soon if I don't stop.

Only 25? When you get the berries fermented and get the first taste bet you will wish you had started with a hundred lbs. Bet the stuff will disappear in a hurry. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[cozmogeek]

Well the good news is I also have 4 gallons of blackberry wine already going that I made from farm berries. Last year I only had enough raspberries to make 1 gallon and ended up with 4 bottles. After I realized how good it was I went and bought 20lbs of raspberries to go along with the 14lbs I froze from my garden. I think there might be just enough to go around.

 

[Stressbaby]

Well today I hit the target. Have 31# elderberries, 90# blackberries, and about 45# blueberries in the freezer. Still picking elder and black but now I can relax a bit because the rest is icing on the cake.

 

[cozmogeek]

Well today I hit the target. Have 31# elderberries, 90# blackberries, and about 45# blueberries in the freezer. Still picking elder and black but now I can relax a bit because the rest is icing on the cake.

Wow! I'm a slacker compared to that. I'm close to 30lbs of blackberries now. I get about 2.5lbs per picking which I try to do 4 or 5 times a week.

 

[cgallamo]

Arne - love the OP! I am trying to grow fruit in north GA as well. This was a good year... About 60# blueberries so far.

 

[wyogal]

The chokecherries are starting to turn, but we did have a freeze during the bloom so the cherries are hit and miss. I'm glad I have some in the freezer from last year.
This spring I planted gooseberries, and I want to have some crabapples (full sized fruit, not the bird-sized fruit). Both gooseberries & crabapples are hardy here in the RM. Does anyone have wine experience with these non-market fruits?

 

[Arne]

@ wyogal Havn't used the gooseberries, but have a crabapple tree in the yard. Don't know what kind, but has light purple flowers in the spring. Anyway, pick 10 or so pounds, put em in a bucket and crush them a bit with the end of a 2X4. Make a 5 gal. batch of store bought apple wine and put the crabs in a fermenting bag in the must while fermenting the apple. Wakes the plain apple way up. Not as much as the jalapenos do tho. First time I made crabapple I used 4lb crabapples, put them in a bag and poured a gal. of boiling water over them. Added 2 lb. sugar 1/4 tsp tannin and yeast nutrient. When coll mashed with potatoe masher and added k-meta. If doing this now, would add pectic enzime 12 hrs or so later. Also would freeze the crabs instead of pouring boiling water over them. Would check the s.g. also, but back then didn't. Had to add a cup and a half of sugar to sweeten. Don't remember, but think it was pretty bitter. Think if the acid was checked and adjusted it would help. Didn't do that back then and only do it now by taste. Arne.
Before crushing, stick the crabapples in the freezer for a couple of days or so. They will crush up much easier.

 

[CheerfulHeart]

Really enjoying these posts about the berry harvests. I have a good-sized patch of youngberry and raspberry vines planted by my father-in-law years ago. Vines aren't on trellises, just growing rampant at ground level. When it comes to harvesting the berries, the blackbirds I can handle, it's the nesting rattlesnakes that deter me.

Wishing everyone bountiful harvests and great wine!

 

[wyogal]

Rattlesnakes are NOT friendly....

Vines aren't on trellises, just growing rampant at ground level. When it comes to harvesting the berries, the blackbirds I can handle, it's the nesting rattlesnakes that deter me.

If you want to train those vines up, here's my advice for what it's worth. Don't try to do this completely in the fall. This fall you need to remove the canes that bore fruit this year. Do not prune canes that did not bear fruit--those are the ones that will fruit next year. Instead, use some chicken- or hog-wire to lift those new canes off the ground about 5-7". Let them sit a month or so, then lift again on to your trellis, repeat.

If you are in a cold climate, like I am, you can just cut the old canes out, & use rope passed under the prostrate canes and gradually lift them up.

Getting the canes off the ground should solve most of your rattlesnake problem, I think. Laurel

 

[CheerfulHeart]

@wyogal: Thanks! That sounds fairly easy. I appreciate the advice!

 

[wyogal]

Crabapple

@ wyogal Havn't used the gooseberries, but have a crabapple tree in the yard. Don't remember, but think it was pretty bitter.
Before crushing, stick the crabapples in the freezer for a couple of days or so. They will crush up much easier.

Yes you're absolutely right that it will be easier after freezing.

About the bitterness, though, I suspect we're not talking about the same crabapples. The crabapple trees I'm talking about and grew up with as a child made delightful jelly, natural pectin to add to other fruit, and even crabapple crisp! No bitterness. The fruit were 1.25-1.75" in diameter, and looked just like apples, just more sour.

 

[cozmogeek]

You know you have a problem when you notice something dried on your leg and you're not sure if it's blackberry juice or blood (from the blackberries cutting you)..

 

[Scooter68]

You know you have a problem when you notice something dried on your leg and you're not sure if it's blackberry juice or blood (from the blackberries cutting you)..

Never picked blackberries and not shed blood - It the norm with wild ones.

Or black raspberries either. Guess that's why I decided to plant blueberries.

 

[cozmogeek]

I'm finally almost out of freezer space, which is good since the berries are just about done. At least the ones near my office anyway.

 

[wyogal]

Ha! Time to come help me pick!

I'm finally almost out of freezer space, which is good since the berries are just about done. At least the ones near my office anyway.

The chokecherries are finally ripening, I've been picking a little every day for 3 days. Being very fussy about ripeness, and I've already put 30 lbs in the freezer. A good, good thing.

Don't you want to come visit Jackson Hole and help me pick?

 

[cozmogeek]

The chokecherries are finally ripening, I've been picking a little every day for 3 days. Being very fussy about ripeness, and I've already put 30 lbs in the freezer. A good, good thing.

Don't you want to come visit Jackson Hole and help me pick?

I might be fruit picking crazy but that's a long way to drive
30lbs in 3 days sounds like a lot.

 

[wyogal]

Picked another 13 lbs today. I did have some help from #2 son who has come to visit.
I have just found out there is an alternate fruit market on Saturdays here. (that sentence does seem really strange, doesn't it?) We have a Saturday morning "farmers market" here in Jackson, but IMHO it's more for the tourists than for the self-sustaining locals.

This gal sells at the farmers market in the morning, and then takes all the leftovers to an open lot and at 2:00 pm sells them at 1/2 price or less. I'm definitely going this week to check it out!