Fruit Harvest

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by Logan, Jun 20, 2018.

  1. Scrungee

    Scrungee Well known for it

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2010
    Messages:
    16,524
    Location:
    Central England on heavy clay soil
    Ratings:
    +28,996
    Picked a (small) bucket of Elderberries a short while ago, could have got loads more but had to return for dinner. Will go back tommorow.
     
    • Informative Informative x 1
    • WeeTam

      WeeTam Total Gardener

      Joined:
      Mar 9, 2015
      Messages:
      2,362
      Gender:
      Male
      Ratings:
      +5,078
      Picked some blueberries today. Looks like im going to try blueberry jam ?

      20180811_154708.jpg
       
      • Like Like x 3
      • Friendly Friendly x 1
      • Logan

        Logan Total Gardener

        Joined:
        May 27, 2017
        Messages:
        14,715
        Gender:
        Female
        Occupation:
        housewife
        Location:
        redditch Worcester
        Ratings:
        +43,794
        Blueberries can be frozen if you don't want to make jam.
         
        • Like Like x 2
        • WeeTam

          WeeTam Total Gardener

          Joined:
          Mar 9, 2015
          Messages:
          2,362
          Gender:
          Male
          Ratings:
          +5,078
          Just easier for me to store as jam as freezer is always full. Everthing tastes weird after being in the freezer here. Too much haddock and salmon in it no doubt :blue thumb:

          Btw is there much pectin in blueberries?

          Just googled it and the answer is yes very high. So jam time as its still raining
           
          • Friendly Friendly x 1
          • Logan

            Logan Total Gardener

            Joined:
            May 27, 2017
            Messages:
            14,715
            Gender:
            Female
            Occupation:
            housewife
            Location:
            redditch Worcester
            Ratings:
            +43,794
            My freezer is full of red, black, white and pink currants. Had to do a lot of redcurrant jam with fruit from last year, just to get this years in.:snorky:
             
            • Like Like x 2
            • Vince

              Vince Not so well known for it.

              Joined:
              Mar 10, 2008
              Messages:
              1,861
              Gender:
              Male
              Occupation:
              Retired
              Location:
              North London / Lincolnshire Fens
              Ratings:
              +3,499
              picked a bucket full of peaches yesterday, now what to do with them all?
               
              • Like Like x 1
              • Friendly Friendly x 1
              • Logan

                Logan Total Gardener

                Joined:
                May 27, 2017
                Messages:
                14,715
                Gender:
                Female
                Occupation:
                housewife
                Location:
                redditch Worcester
                Ratings:
                +43,794
                You could make a peach preserve.
                 
                • Informative Informative x 1
                • Scrungee

                  Scrungee Well known for it

                  Joined:
                  Dec 5, 2010
                  Messages:
                  16,524
                  Location:
                  Central England on heavy clay soil
                  Ratings:
                  +28,996
                  Picked over 10lbs more in about 20 minutes, taking total to 14lbs 8ozs, then spent absolutely ages stripping the berries and skimming off unripe floaters, I hate that bit. 10lbs of stripped, ripe berries ready to be stesm juice extracted tomorrow morning.

                  The earliest berries are already overipe and shrivelled and I doubt if there'll be any left by September, szme with the Blackberries. But look in older books and they're classified as September fruits.
                   
                • Scrungee

                  Scrungee Well known for it

                  Joined:
                  Dec 5, 2010
                  Messages:
                  16,524
                  Location:
                  Central England on heavy clay soil
                  Ratings:
                  +28,996
                  The rain has made all the ripe Blackberries go squishy and completely unsuitable for eating so I'll be forced to use every single one of them for winemaking.
                   
                • Scrungee

                  Scrungee Well known for it

                  Joined:
                  Dec 5, 2010
                  Messages:
                  16,524
                  Location:
                  Central England on heavy clay soil
                  Ratings:
                  +28,996
                  The most productive Blackberry patches finished before the end of August, and Elderberries weren't far behind. Only enough Blackberries now for eating with ice cream, the days over buckets full for winemaking have finished. Bottled enough juice for 12 galls of Blackberry Wine, 18 galls of Blackberry & Elderberry Wineand 3 galls of really fruity 'Port' mix for fortifying with brandy.

                  Not many Damsoms on the local wild trees, but picked enough for 2 litres of Damson Gin plus some to eat.

                  Got enough Crab Apples picked to go with scavenged/scrounged cookers and eaters to make 12 galls of cider.

                  Noticing a bit of a theme here?
                   
                  • Like Like x 1
                  • Kandy

                    Kandy Will be glad to see the sun again soon.....

                    Joined:
                    Apr 23, 2006
                    Messages:
                    11,465
                    Occupation:
                    Head gardener
                    Location:
                    In the Middle Of Blighty
                    Ratings:
                    +6,543
                    Sounds like you are having a good harvest @Scrungee but that lot would make my sugar levels go through the roof and make my waistline expand:biggrin:
                     
                    • Like Like x 1
                    • Scrungee

                      Scrungee Well known for it

                      Joined:
                      Dec 5, 2010
                      Messages:
                      16,524
                      Location:
                      Central England on heavy clay soil
                      Ratings:
                      +28,996
                      It's OK, I completely ferment out all the sugar :blue thumb:
                       
                      • Like Like x 1
                      • Informative Informative x 1
                      • Kandy

                        Kandy Will be glad to see the sun again soon.....

                        Joined:
                        Apr 23, 2006
                        Messages:
                        11,465
                        Occupation:
                        Head gardener
                        Location:
                        In the Middle Of Blighty
                        Ratings:
                        +6,543
                        My apologies as I have never made an cordials etc so didn’t know what the process was and that you could get rid of the sugar content:love30:

                        Would you like me to say Hi to Julian next time I see him?:smile:
                         
                        • Like Like x 1
                        • Scrungee

                          Scrungee Well known for it

                          Joined:
                          Dec 5, 2010
                          Messages:
                          16,524
                          Location:
                          Central England on heavy clay soil
                          Ratings:
                          +28,996
                          Bumper crop of wallnuts on the local trees, but they need a few more weeks.

                          Plenty of Hazelnuts this year, ones shelled so far and a colander full still to do.

                          hazels1.jpg

                          hazels2.jpg

                          I intend going there Wednesday next week (visiting Ham Wall either on way down or on way home) EDIT: Unlikely as rain now forecast, or sometime 24-28 Sept, plus we're all staying nearby in October (Red Deer rut).
                           
                          • Like Like x 3
                            Last edited: Sep 9, 2018
                          • Scrungee

                            Scrungee Well known for it

                            Joined:
                            Dec 5, 2010
                            Messages:
                            16,524
                            Location:
                            Central England on heavy clay soil
                            Ratings:
                            +28,996
                            I pulped my 20lbs of crab apples this afternoon ready for pressing, but pulp was so dry I thought it would be like trying to get blood out of stone pressing them, it was like damp sawdust.

                            Never known them so hard and dry, so I added 4L of water, sulphite and loads of pectolase to break down the pulp and I'll leave it 24 hours before pressing.

                            Sweet chesnuts are tiny this year and don't look like they'll be worth gathering.

                            More funny weather stuff, we've been picking ripe walnuts for 2 days now, the earliest I can remember. These are the first from 2 days ago. Those nuts plus the ones we picked this morning have already been turned into walnut cookies.

                            wallnuts.jpg
                             
                            • Like Like x 3
                            Loading...

                            Share This Page

                            1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
                              By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
                              Dismiss Notice