WINE GARDEN

[NorthernWinos]

nw, I've been looking all day for thesite whereI read that about the high bush cranberry and I can't find it. I must be all wet on this one.

But I did find a recipe for high bush cranberry wine.

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/highbush.asp

Here are some Sites to check out...
http://www.saskfruit.com/studentwebsites/High%20Bush%20Cranberry%20Hrycan/Consumerpage/consumer.html


http://www.gardenline.usask.ca/fruit/cranbery.html


http://www.wildflowers-and-weeds.com/The_Forager/highbush_cranberry.htm


http://www.evergreen.ca/nativeplants/search/view-plant.php?ID=00740


http://www.macphailwoods.org/shrub/hbcran.html


Will do more reading as well.

 

[swillologist]

Where did you find that at? nw LOL The wildflower and weeds wibsite is the one I read. The bushes I have look a lot like the ones in the pictures. But the fruit on these are oblong not round like in the pictures. I know these bushes are not native around here. They were planted by the guy that had the place before me. So I don't know what variety they are. They grow pretty easy from seeds. The birds have planted them in the slough just north of where the bushes are. There are several bushes growing there now. I would like to know what kind I have. I will have to post a picture and see if they look like the ones thatyou have.

 

[NorthernWinos]

I did a search on Google and those pages came up....my fruits are a little oblong too at this point...One bush is a little different than the others.


The bushes out in our shelter belt are small, yellow and struggling in the grass...the few I set out in flower bed conditions are so much nicer. The deer had always done the pruning and did such a nice job...they have changed their habits so the pruning is up to me now. Also the young fruit trees had been totally mutalated...they seem to be recovering now.

 

[NorthernWinos]

<H4><A name=Highbush_Cranberry_Liqueur></A>Here is a recipe to concider...</H4>
<H4>Highbush Cranberry Liqueur</H4>Ingredients:
500 mL (2 cups) highbush cranberries
375 mL (1 1/2 cups) vodka
375 mL (1 1/2 cups) sugar
200 mL (3/4) cup water
1/2 lemon or lime peel
1/4 orange peel
Optional:
1 stick cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground allspice

Thoroughly wash and rinse a large 40 oz glass container with a tight fitting lid. Wash and stem berries, chop into puree using a food processor and place in glass container. Add lemon and orange peel, vodka, sugar, and optional spices. Let stand for 4 weeks in a dark place, shaking gently each day to dissolve the sugar. Strain several times using cheesecloth, rebottle, and serve.

 

[grapeman]

I did a search on Google and those pages came up....my fruits are a little oblong too at this point...One bush is a little different than the others.


The bushes out in our shelter belt are small, yellow and struggling in the grass...the few I set out in flower bed conditions are so much nicer. The deer had always done the pruning and did such a nice job...they have changed their habits so the pruning is up to me now. Also the young fruit trees had been totally mutalated...they seem to be recovering now.

To help with the tree mutilation, hang bars of soap in them. Use motel/hotel size bars of very aromatic soaps. I used to buy boxes of a thousand for hanging in young plantings. Then get some paper clips and straighten it enough to poke through the center of the bar and hang it like Christmas tree ornaments. Several to a tree usually is enough to keep the deer at bag mostly.


Something else I have found this year to keep the deer out of the vines is the Blue-X tubes. I have noticed since installing these, that there is hardly ever a track in the vines. They are supposed to keep rodents from chewing on the vines- I guess so, it scares the deer(rodent) out of them. I think it is the bright blue color that does it- even though deer are supposed to be color blind.

 

[NorthernWinos]

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/images/uploads/NorthernWinos/2006-01-31_083838_IMG_0001.JPG[/img]


The total protection...Wire mesh on the bottoms buried in pea gravel to prevent the gnawing rabbits and mice, the post and bird netting helped through that winter for browsing deer.Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[OilnH2O]

NW -


About ("a-boot") your 'saskatoons' question -- as you know they arecalled "Service berries" in the states, but pronounced "sarvis-berries" when we lived in Tennessee and Kentucky. We picked them when they were dark purple, and easily pulled from the plant. It the berry "stuck" as we pulled it, we left it on. Here in Montana if you call them "Saskatoons" most people know what you're talking about!

Great jellies if you strain the seeds.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Here in Minnesota they call them Juneberries.
The plants are about [aboot] done for the year. Not really good producers.....The last berries on the big plant are either drying up like raisins or have the dreaded fungus on them...the only thing better than that is if we would have driven half way across the state to pick them.

 

[NorthernWinos]

3 Black Currant cuttings are growing nicely and now have 8 Gooseberry cuttings rooted and joined them in the greenhouse...

So, will set them out into the 'Wine Garden' soon...have to get some advice on how close together they can be planted...????

Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[grapeman]

Those are coming along nicely NW. They can be planted 3-5 feet apart in rows about 6-8 feet apart.


Did the rain slacken up out there yet? We have gotten out share of it today. 3 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings and about 4-5 inches of rain later, we are looking plenty wet enough for a while now. The second batch that came through a couple hours ago was primed for tornado activity. Not sure if any touched down, but lots of wind and hail damage not far away.

 

[NorthernWinos]

We haven't had any rain in over a week....it was near 100*F a couple days ago...then it cooled off nicely without any storms...I think that cold front is setting off your storms out East now.


Tonight we are expecting even cooler air with a possibility of some rain...actually after 9.63" in June and an inch over a week ago...we could use some...I notice a few flowers that are crowded are wilting and corners of the crops on sand are looking thristy....The corn is 6 feet tall and the soybeans are blooming. The corn is uneven due to flooded areas and huge wash-out trenches through the fields...but with a little luck and God willing we might get a crop this year.


The vegetables are doing well. The strawberries are done, the raspberries aren't as nice as we'd like...with last years drought they are producing on shorter than average canes that got pretty beat up from strong winds eariler...


So, with your droughty conditions..you now have much needed rains....You get what you get....and be thankful for that....our rains came in large doses...the winds and hail are the costs you pay.


P.S.
Hope our wife is feeling better...I can feel for her....Gall Bladder problems are very painful and that kind of inner pain can be so hard to cope with....my thoughts are with her.

 

[grapeman]

When the rains ended last night, the pool was overflowing the skimmer and it had been 6 inches low and I was ready to add some water. That job took care of itself. I couldn't work in the garden or vineyard last evening. I walked out between downpours and there was water standing like in your pictures of last month. Probably the fungal diseases will have a field day now. Oh well. Like you say you get what you get and I am thankful. We did luck out and didn't have severe wind or hail right here. We are right on the edge of the warm front and that is where the thunderstorms are forming. More expected today and worse again tomorrow. July is typically our driest summer month. It could be much worse.......


Thanks for your concern for my wife. She has been doing very well and like you she keeps going- even hasn't taken time off from work except for the day she went to the doctor. They had scheduled her for an ultrasound for this Friday but called and wanted to reschedule sooner. Then they called and wanted her in the office yesterday, so she went after work. Now she is scheduled for a CT Scan for this afternoon after work. They are afraid it has affected the pancreas also. With everyones kind thoughts she will get through this fine. Thanks

 

[NorthernWinos]

I started with the ultra sound and they could see the Gall Stones...but they didn't know why my liver was soswollen...come to find a stone was working it's way into the liver. The surgery was an easy one...4 little holes, one for a camera, one for gas to blow up your abdomen and two that they worked through.....Hope they find out her problem and fix her up soon, inside hurting is scarey and very painful...eating absolutely no fats helped with the stones till I had surgery.


Last night we got .96", very strong winds today and chilly....blowing rain now....the coolness is headed east...so you'll have relief soon.

 

[swillologist]

The rain is skirting us now. We're still not hurting. The heat is supposed to let up the rest of the week that will help.
Hope they get your wife fixed up in a hurry. Until then she will be in our prayers.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Went out to survey the wind damage...the outer rows of the field corn has blown down and some of the fields are leaning...not too bad....should recover. The neighbors small grains have lodged in places.


In the garden the oldest sweetcorn has blown down and the young stuff is leaning...might recover..[?] The onions are blown over, some of the leaves are snapped....should be okay.


Many ripe raspberries were on the ground, even some whole clusters were blown off the canes....went picking between rain and sunshine....they were a little mushy...went right into the freezer....have enough for a batch of wine...will bepicking forbatch #2 now...Life is Good!!!


Hang onto your hats out East....it's headed yur way and packing quite a punch.

Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

These are growing all along my back fence, I pick them and throw at the kids....What are they? Edited by: JWMINNESOTA

 

[NorthernWinos]

You throw them at the kids???? Are the kids trespassing??? In which case they would be called trespassers....


As for the berries...don't know...How bigare the bushes??? Looks like an ornamental bush from the leaves and pretty berries.

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

OK, kidding about throwing them at kids, they remind me of the Pyracantha bushes we had in the southwest, I've asked a few around here and they don't know.They are a pretty ornamental, just wondered what they were.

 

[NorthernWinos]

I thought of Beauty Berry, but those grow in long clusters. Cotoneaster could be another guess...but the berries look plum color now. Do they turn red by fall?


Do they taste okay??? Soft or hard...?

 

[grapeman]

I'm half blind but to me they look like a type of ornamental crabapple. The leaves are apple shaped and the fruit ends look like the calyx of an apple blossom. They do look sem-transparent as some crabapples are. My guess would b a naturally occuring crabapple seeded by the birds.


Reminds me of some stange apples out there. You should see Budagovski rootstock trees. They are spiny with thorns, have purple leaves and the apples are oblong plum shaped.