WINE GARDEN

[NorthernWinos]

Nice looking grapes NW. Grapes will take cold down to about 26 without severe harm. If you get a frost it likely won't hurt them and as soon as itwarms up again, they will continue ripening.


We have grapes blossoming also from persistant summer laterals on a number of varieties.

26*...hummm.....We are expecting patchy frost after 1AM tonight.....It didn't get to 50*F today and the temp is dropping....North wind....

I noticed yesterday that a few more grapes were black and sweet....going out to pick a few more and try to cover the vines with the most fruit...just drape some tarps over them.

I won't be able to process these grapes till Wed AM...I hope I don't loose the sweetness.....will store them in the cool garage.

Picked 11 baskets of tomatoes yesterday...been working in the kitchen/canning factory everyday....nearing burn-out. Have only 130 jars left and the shelf space is dwindling in the tomato and apple juice sections. I will buy more jars only if it's for grapes. Will be giving away the rest of the tomatoes and apples when I fill the shelves.

Tomorrow is my 'day-off'...off to the Dr.....ho-hum!!!

 

[OilnH2O]

We're thinking of you!

 

[NorthernWinos]

Today I had to juice up the grapes that we picked...

The white grapes are Louise Swenson and Edelweiss...the purple grapes are more Valiant...They are continuing to ripen a bit uneven...but coming along.

Both were nice and sweet.....I did juice them together because of the meager harvest.....will add them to other varieties if they survive our cold nights.

The grapes remain tucked under their protection from frost....so far we have squeaked by, but tomorrow night they expect 31*....so will uncover the garden on Sat or so....it was a lot of work covering the remaining fruit and veggies...

Had the usual run of the mill insects in the berries... various spiders, 7 Eurasian lady beetles...[stinky things

] and one of those beetles that are shaped like a shield...WHAT ARE THOSE????

So it goes in the WINE GARDEN.





Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[grapeman]

The common name is aptly enough- Stink Bug!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stink_bug

 

[Waldo]

How long does it take to steam/juice a batch of grapes nw?

 

[NorthernWinos]

The common name is aptly enough- Stink Bug!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stink_bug

That's them....Never knew what they were called.

Never noticed the smell tho. They were usually on the raspberries, especially in the fall, now with no fall raspberries they are on the grapes.

 

[NorthernWinos]

How long does it take to steam/juice a batch of grapes nw?

They could be done in an hour...but I am so tight I run them through about 1 ¼ hours....then dump the pulp into a pan...Do another batch and then put the pulp together for another hour or so...you do get more juice, maybe another quart.....Then I let it drip over night and might get another cup or two...I want it all.....

 

[NorthernWinos]

A beautiful day up on the prairie today...Clear, sunny and breezy....Finally no frost threats in the future....so, a great day to uncover the poor garden that has been tucked under wraps for 5 days....

Some of the Valiant [Fredonia X Wild] grapes were ready, so picked 3 large bowls of them, still a few hanging out there...seems the ones hiding behind the thick clusters are much slower ripening...So, they will hang as long as possible.

The Beta [Concord X Wild] are just awesome in size this year....they are finally ripening now....will make some breakfast juice with them...maybe try some wine...?

The King of the North are ripening fast and very sweet...wish there were more....but after severely pruning a neglected vine was just glad that it survived and produced a few grapes...Last year got enough off of the sprawling vine for a nice batch of wine...A very rampant grower.

I must say my Elderberry enterprise is a bit of a wash....there are a few clusters this year...But...I have to ask....are the berries always this small????

I have been planting a few plants each year and hope in the future to get a crop...or enough for a taste of wine.

Meanwhile...I am planning my 'winter garden'....I love to grow things under lights through the winter...So, took some cuttings of the Native elderberry we got from the Soil and Water Conservation Service in hopes that is the variety that might produce in this zone....as well took a few cuttings of the Ben Sarek Black Currant...as it seemed to have the biggest berries in the Wine Garden this summer....more plants will be nice.

So...the Wine Garden is winding down for his season....and plans for next year are in the works....

Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[Waldo]

Those look pretty typical for elderberries NW...They do not get very big at all

 

[grapeman]

You get quantity with numbers NW. I have filled a 5 gallon bucket before in minutes. The hard part is getting all the little berries off the stems.

 

[Wade E]

Or getting all the green goo of the primary bucket from what Im told!

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

Saw a bunch of those when out picking grapes a week or so ago,very ripe, almost too late,picked a couple grocery bads full, figured enough to try a small batch, birds had really thinned them out somewhat...so....let one of the guys I was with take all, figure one small batch better than trying to split them up where not enough. Next year, a little earlier maybe there will be enough for us both. Wonder could you steam them on the stems, that would cut the work way down if no adverse effect on the juice.

 

[jobe05]

Or getting all the green goo of the primary bucket from what Im told!

I am making my first batches and when I racked it from the primaries to glass....... I'm looking at these 2 plastic buckets with a green ring that just won't budge.............

After reading it a few times on this forum, I got the spray on olive oil out and gave it a try........... Wiped right off. The olive oil came right off (what little there was) with hot soapy water.

 

[jobe05]

The hard part is getting all the little berries off the stems.

Just pluck the berries off the stems quickly, don't worry about how many stems you leave on the fruit, then put about 3 pounds in a zip lock bag, DO NOT WASH THEM YET!

Once frozen, take the bags and roll them around in your hands. This will break off most of the stems from the fruit. I made up a rough board that was posted on here by someone (Maybe CrakedCork) that I roll the fruit down, leaving the small stems behind. Work real fast so that they don't thaw, and only do 1 bag at a time. When done, wash (while frozen), re-bag and freeze.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Guess I don't have enough Elderberries to worry about making anything with them this year....They are kind of pretty with the purple stems.

I heard that if you steam juice the Elderberries you don't get the green-goo...that is something that comes with using them raw.

Hopefully next year I might get enough to add to something else.

I cleaned and juiced 21 more pounds of Valiant grapes today....All together there has been 71# of them and juiced into 30 quarts of juice for the wine-effort. There are a few more hanging out there, but don't think they will ripen.

Picked some of the Beta gapes today Looked at the calender and the forecast is for more than 1 inch of heavy rain over the next few days....so, just picked the ripest ones for today.....Seems the young plants are much riper. The 9 year old vine has a nice bunch of fruit on it, but they just aren't quite ready....

Also picked the grapes off the King of the North vine....didn't think there was many out there, but got 10# 6oz...so that wasn't bad...big clusters add up.

So...the season is winding down here....Suppose to get into the 30's again by the weekend...So, will clean out what I can out there and cover a few veggies...again.

Think this years gardening is about done...
I'm ready to throw in the trowel and call it a year.....

 

[jobe05]

I heard that if you steam juice the Elderberries you don't get the green-goo...that is something that comes with using them raw.

I cooked mine for 20 minutes then let cool when I made mine........... Still got the goooooooooo

I'm ready to throw in the trowel and call it a year.....

Say it aint so.........

 

[Wade E]

NW, you do more in 1 year then most do in a lifetime!!!!!

 

[NorthernWinos]

So...the seasons are changing up here on the High Plains... Got a touch of frost, but it didn't really hurt anything....Another weekend of rain predicted and then the overnight temps in the high 20's by next week....

Picked and covered the remaining garden veggies...

I picked the rest of the grapes....some on the single vines had a few grapes on...Got 4 quarts of juice off the Swenson Red vine, had 4 quarts of Swenson Red juice left from last year....Got 5 quarts off the Edelweiss and Louise Swenson .... will do a 3 gallon batch of 'Trinity' wine soon.

Picked the Black Beta grapes...they were really nice off of the young vines....Then there was the 'old timer'....lots of grapes, but not fully ripe....I did pick them and juiced them...will use it in some other wine along the way instead of adding water.

Much to my surprise on my way to pick some apples I found a few Wild Plums had set on the 3 trees we have in our wild Life Area....I got 16# of cleaned fruit and am juicing it up now....Each tree had a different size and colored fruit...

We have never made a successful or desirable wine from these Wild Plums, but, I had never let them get this ripe...these are very sweet and juicy, before when picked early they were tart and astringent. So, now I have been out in the 'Dink-Around' [Gator] scouring the neighborhood for any remaining fruit hanging on the trees....no luck!

So...I see some 'Jug-Wines' in the future.....As soon as the 'Cannery' clears out of the kitchen...it's Winemaking Time....

 

[Waldo]

Thiose look really good NW and hopefully will make you some great wine.

 

[NorthernWinos]

About half of them were on the ground...It's been too chilly for Yellow Jackets and bees...so felt okay with picking them off the ground...Some of the others just fell into my hand...the ones I couldn't reach got shook off the tree....

I am juicing them now and they sure have a pretty colored juice....but they don't smell that great.

Now I have to find a creative recipe....Any suggestions????