Berry hunting is here!

[Southwind]

5 gallons plus of sand plums last weekend and 2 plus gallons of black berries this weekend. jelly and cobbler is right around the corner. If we can get the humidity down it will be jelly on.

 

[Sainte_Terrer]

That's awesome! It doesn't get much better than Sand Plum Jelly! My folks picked a bunch of blackberries last year and I had to try to make Blackberry Liqueur with them using Hank Shaw's Elderberry Liqueur recipe. It turned out really well! If you are out and about, keep an eye out for Chanterelles too. Folks have been finding loads in KS and MO.

 

[Southwind]

Looks good, there is going to be a very good elderberry crop too. They are thick this year.
Father in law makes a sand plum liqueur they call "bounce" in SE Kansas.

 

[Reeltime]

My wife and I have picked 10+ pounds of western Montana huckle berries this week. Jam, pancakes, muffins, dehydrated, etc. Good stuff!

 

[Gerald Martin]

Looks like there should be a bumper crop of huckleberries this year in MT. We've had great moisture so far. It should give the bears a good boost after the terrible crop last year..

 

[Bulldog0156]

I saw a ton of people out picking berries today. I wasn't looking, but the ones I found were pretty sour...

 

[kansasdad]

A sandplum date with my wife for next weekend has been set.


Nice haul Southwind. Hefty size on those orbs of magical goodness.

 

[Southwind]

A sandplum date with my wife for next weekend has been set.


Nice haul Southwind. Hefty size on those orbs of magical goodness.

Good, I hope you find a bunch. I was going to head to Kingman this year until I spotted this patch in Greenwood county. They are big, we are guessing around 35 jars of jelly.

 

[sigpros]

I've never heard of a sand plum. What is it? What's it taste like?

 

[Southwind]

They are a smallish wild plum and they do taste like plums kind of tart but sweet. There are several varieties. My absolute favorite jam or jelly.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_angustifolia I have never seen them grow as tall as wikipedia says normally 6-7 foot at the most and most around 3-4 foot tall.

I grew up on them, my dad was from NW Oklahoma and remember picking from a small child and my grandmother would make the jelly. When we migrated north into Kansas we would find them and mom would make the jelly and it has continued through my wife and me and even my daughter is making it now.

As soon as the humidity gets below 50% here we will start making it up.

For now I just have to settle for Black Berry cobbler.

 

[sigpros]

I will have to try and find some of those. I will have to have the wife make some jelly.

 

[WestT]

Loving this thread. Spent the last three evening picking and freezing beans. Nothing better than growing it yourself!

 

[zachthebowhunter]

How is the huckleberry crop looking in western Montana now that its getting to be august? We go on a family trip every august to Thompson Falls to pick huckleberries and last years crop was terrible! Hoping it will be better in two weeks when we go.

 

[el unit]

We've found a few broom huckleberries, raspberries, and currants so far. Looks like there will be tons of raspberries in another week or two here in SW Montana.

 

[Southwind]

Loving this thread. Spent the last three evening picking and freezing beans. Nothing better than growing it yourself!

We are all about that. We have our green beans canned, starting to can tomatoes and about ready to whip up some salsa for canning.

Our black berry crop has been incredible this year, I have been picking for a month now and have about 6 gallons.

Elderberries are just around the corner.

 

[hank4elk]

I found some Mtn Raspberries in the Gila! Had a handful and wished there was more.
I finally got the elk fence built so I planted a store bought plant to get started and already got a handful.
Old hunting buddy called yesterday from the Jemez Mtns and asked if I wanted a bunch of plants for my place.They grow like weeds there. Cool.
He also has some wild plum & elderberries that we made jam out of years back.
I miss my berry patches and orchards so I'll go the semi-wild route and hope. Fruit trees and such are tough to grow here and get a crop.

 

[sigpros]

Tell me more about this liqueur. How hard is it to make? Could I use blackberries?