tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post5198237542128109791..comments2024-03-18T12:04:27.789-05:00Comments on A Home Grown Journal: My Love/Hate Relationship with the Haskap BerriesMama Peahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03649357184167949247noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post-92078335622312864432019-07-16T09:00:44.120-05:002019-07-16T09:00:44.120-05:00I finally said “uncle” this year and bought a two ...I finally said “uncle” this year and bought a two burner propane camp stove from Dick’s Sporting Goods. The funny thing is they screwed up and I got it for free! Do I feel guilty? A little.<br /><br />I made boozy cherries on it so far. It has been so stinkin’ hot here that I couldn’t bear to run the canner indoors. Tomato season is coming very soon. We have a huge crop but they are still green.<br /><br />I’ve been blanching (3 minutes in the microwave) and freezing yellow squash. Tons of it. Only three baseball bat zucchini which made excellent fritters and then I froze the rest already shredded. Banana peppers are coming in strong too. Those are being cleaned and frozen in strips for any recipe calling for peppers. I still need to pick the last of the green beans. The heat is getting to them.<br /><br />I did what you suggested about snipping chives to freeze. I’ve got oregano drying and I’ve been freezing parsley. Marjoram died and the tarragon is not looking well. I think it needs a sunnier spot but this was the first year that I’ve been able to grow parsley! Moving that herb bed a little worked wonders.<br /><br />Did your garden survive all the rain that you got? I read on another blog that a lot of farmers couldn’t get their crops in because the ground was a mud pit. I think this means we will be seeing a big rise in food prices across the board. Couple that with the trade restrictions from Mexico and we all better be growing a lot of our own food. What do you think?Katie C.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post-7271750360802549682019-07-15T14:15:34.901-05:002019-07-15T14:15:34.901-05:00Susan - We still can't figure out how to descr...Susan - We still can't figure out how to describe it. Very rich, not a "light" taste, not sweet but not objectionable, almost with a wine flavor. Will let you know when we can put the right words to it!<br /><br />When I was doing the jam, Papa Pea came in from outside and told me I was doing a good job of heating up the kitchen. My retort was, "But imagine how it would feel if I was doing it on a wood cook stove as those hard-working, long-suffering housewives of days gone by did!"Mama Peahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03649357184167949247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post-30814197296604345082019-07-15T13:19:59.164-05:002019-07-15T13:19:59.164-05:00It seems ironic on so many levels. And even more ...It seems ironic on so many levels. And even more so, when you figure that all the hot canning processes we go through, happen during the hottest part of the year. What does Haskap berry jam taste like - blueberry? Blackberry? Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12573143203599624833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post-42052931267021871962019-07-14T18:47:22.466-05:002019-07-14T18:47:22.466-05:00Lynne - Yes, they are like blueberry bushes in tha...Lynne - Yes, they are like blueberry bushes in that they don't really start to produce until the third or fourth year. We didn't know that (!) and were really discouraged at first. This their 7th year and are producing about as much as they can now, I think. BUT the bushes are still growing so I suppose that means more berries, too!<br /><br />Nancy - It's kind of like producing your own syrup, isn't it? Saves buying commercial syrup! (It doesn't have to be maple syrup to be good!)<br /><br />Leigh - Except for the year my blueberry jam turned out just like purple library paste. It was unbelievable. You couldn't even spread it and it had no taste. Figure that one out!Mama Peahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03649357184167949247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post-37304075395261627152019-07-14T17:03:47.075-05:002019-07-14T17:03:47.075-05:00Well, I don't know either but have to share th...Well, I don't know either but have to share that I've had similar puzzling results with other berry jams. No way of knowing! I guess the thing to do is just make it and enjoy the results no matter how they turn out. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post-41785517547893260012019-07-14T16:30:51.239-05:002019-07-14T16:30:51.239-05:00Looks great! Pretty soon I'm going to make Ser...Looks great! Pretty soon I'm going to make Serviceberry syrup, for the same things. Something nice fr winter when we do waffles, etc...Nancy In Boisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03749272217529362089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post-18087210943879361942019-07-14T14:35:01.765-05:002019-07-14T14:35:01.765-05:00Those berries sure looks good. They do look a bit ...Those berries sure looks good. They do look a bit like blueberries, only oval in shape by the looks. I bet the jam is good because I don't like jam that's sweet, sweet. I think your right about them growing here .( New England) Would be worth a try. Does it take a few years to produce? There is so many thing good in them health wise. Take care!Lynnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05457724188421592415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post-64211545693860611432019-07-14T14:08:36.605-05:002019-07-14T14:08:36.605-05:00Elizabeth - They are fairly new to the U.S. having...Elizabeth - They are fairly new to the U.S. having been originally grown in extremely cold climates. (I'm not an expert on the climates in Japan, but didn't know they had as cold a temperature range as the haskaps seem to like.) I understand they are much more popular cultivated in Canad (colder than us here in the states) and now working their way into the more northern areas of the United States. I'm thinking you would have no trouble growing them in New England. Ours seem to be thriving with our temperatures here in northern Minnesota going down to -20 below zero (sometimes more) in the winter and up into the 80s int he summer. Isn't it interesting to hear of a new fruit that we in colder areas and shorter seasons can grow?Mama Peahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03649357184167949247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post-19116136595370917892019-07-14T11:48:22.660-05:002019-07-14T11:48:22.660-05:00As a life long reader and a very curious person ab...As a life long reader and a very curious person about everything in general I must say the word haskap took me by surprise. I had never heard or read about these berries before today. I must admit I had to do a wikipedia search to learn something about them before I could even consider posting an intelligent comment. Interesting picture on Wiki showing three shelves of food items made from haskaps in Japan. <br /><br />So thank you for sharing about these. I'm going to tell my husband and sisiter-in-law about these berries as I'm pretty sure neither of them have heard for haskaps either and they like to know new things just as I do.<br /><br />Do you think these might grow just in your area of the country? I ask because they certainly are not something I've ever heard about growing here in New England.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13690200815401861750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post-3024679185652054892019-07-14T11:10:20.606-05:002019-07-14T11:10:20.606-05:00wisps of words - Best "scientific" reaso...wisps of words - Best "scientific" reason we've been able to come up with!<br /><br />It was a Bald Eagle (very exciting to see close-up) that was helping him/herself from our mulch pile. We never knew where the nest was . . . only that he/she flew off to the southwest over our tall trees. We just remarked this past week that we haven't seen hide nor hair of him/her (if I'm correct, the males help build the nest, too) for a couple of weeks. Maybe the nest is satisfactorily built and little 'uns being tended to!Mama Peahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03649357184167949247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post-20711638205920397062019-07-14T10:26:42.117-05:002019-07-14T10:26:42.117-05:00Question...
Remember the hawk, which was making a...Question...<br /><br />Remember the hawk, which was making a nest, with things from your garden? <br /><br />Did she have babies?<br /><br />How is she feeding them?<br /><br />Inquiring minds remember. ,-) And want to know. >,-)wisps of wordshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12995057494013633705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post-50289415169463374072019-07-14T10:25:15.299-05:002019-07-14T10:25:15.299-05:00Perhaps the kitchen was more "hot and steamy&...Perhaps the kitchen was more "hot and steamy" this year... And that, produced JAM, instead of Syrup...???<br /><br />lol... Yeah, there is a scientific reason, for you! lol<br /><br />wisps of wordshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12995057494013633705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post-54042424671491015992019-07-14T09:40:16.366-05:002019-07-14T09:40:16.366-05:00wyomingheart - The haskaps have a very different f...wyomingheart - The haskaps have a very different flavor. Hubby and I have been trying to define it. It's not bad by any means, but not like any other berry we've tasted. Some of the literature describe it as a cross between a blueberry and grape, but we don't think that's quite it. The flavor is "deep" and rich. Don't know if I could eat a bowlful of them fresh with milk or cream as they have an astringent/sour taste but have heard that other varieties (other than the ones we have) are much less sour.<br /><br />This is what I love about having blogging friends and their knowledge shared. Call me an outright dummy, but as you and Michelle have suggested warming jam will make it syrup-like. Never thought of that!Mama Peahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03649357184167949247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post-13554947084748711112019-07-14T08:32:43.585-05:002019-07-14T08:32:43.585-05:00Yep! That's what I do with the strawberry jam!...Yep! That's what I do with the strawberry jam! Heat it up and you got syrup! Those berries sound wonderful! I have never tasted them.wyominghearthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11866831359786301254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post-31018692804959400852019-07-14T07:51:53.748-05:002019-07-14T07:51:53.748-05:00Michelle - Heating the jam . . . you clever, girl ...Michelle - Heating the jam . . . you clever, girl you!Mama Peahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03649357184167949247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423140573667417407.post-65612202856484863962019-07-14T01:26:21.415-05:002019-07-14T01:26:21.415-05:00Either jam or syrup sounds good to me, and I think...Either jam or syrup sounds good to me, and I think heating your jam would give you yummy, warm SYRUP, too!Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01550786937196525098noreply@blogger.com