Zante “currants”

Posted on October 19, 2015 by | Leave a comment

While watching Greg Quinn’s TED talk on black currants, I was slightly unnerved to find out that I was one of those suckers who thought Zante Currants were indeed currants. Zante currants look like raisins, taste like raisins, and come in a box with this warning about the occasional GRAPE STEM mixed up inside. I still never saw it coming. Surely I’ve read every food label in my cabinet except for this one…

The blow to my pride does not make the Zante Currant taste any less delicious in my oatmeal. It may be a raisin, but it’s a quality raisin. In fact, the “Black Corinth” has been with us for a long time: Pliny the Elder made mention of this “tiny Greek grape” in 75 A.D., and in 1901 the USDA’s David Fairchild was responsible for the first introduction in the U.S.

However, the future of the California Zante Currant (and really, the future of all U.S. raisins) may be in jeopardy. Greece’s “above-average yield” in 2014 flooded the export market and kept prices for California exports from rising. A rise in price is necessary to justify the expense for the farmers. Couple that with a “lack of labor” and historic drought conditions and you have many farms ripping out their vines and replacing at least a portion of their land with more lucrative nut crops.

References:  Fitchette, T. 2015. RBA achieves $1,900 for 2014 Zante Currant raisin crop. Available online: http://westernfarmpress.com/markets/rba-achieves-1900-2014-zante-currant-raisin-crop, Accessed 18 October 2105.  Northcutt, G. 2015. Following bloom, water for irrigation remains a big concern for raisin grape growers. Available online: http://westernfarmpress.com/grapes/following-bloom-water-irrigation-remains-big-concern-raisin-grape-growers. Accessed 18 October 2015.  University of California Integrated Viticulture. Zante Currant. Available online: http://iv.ucdavis.edu/Viticultural_Information/?uid=131&ds=351. Accessed 18 October 2015.

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Posted in Currants (Ribes)

Strange and odd fruits

Posted on October 19, 2015 by | Leave a comment

This web site features the jostaberry among many other strange fruit hybrids and short descriptions. Definitely worth a checking out if only to add fuel to an already growing fascination with plant breeding.  Odd hybrid fruits

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Honeyberry Source

Posted on October 19, 2015 by | Leave a comment

This website is for Honeyberry USA, which is a berry farm that sells cultivated berry bushes. They are located in Minnesota, so most of their berry bushes are cold-hardy. They mostly sell honeyberry bushes, but also have gooseberries, currants, and juneberries. Another item they sell is a mechanical pollinator for berry bushes. Honeyberry Source

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Posted in Businesses, Honeyberry, Haskap (Loniera), Pollination, Pollinators

Elderberry

Posted on October 19, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Elderberry – Sambucus species. The newest additions to our edible landscape process are some plants of the Sambucus species. This summer, I traded a friend for a native elderberry plant. I also purchased two different cultivars of Sambucus nigra Samdal and Samyl, which have the traditional purple/black berries. A third variety of Sambucus canadensis was purchased at the Alaska Botanical Garden this summer. To round out my collection, I picked up two plants of the cultivar “Black Lace”, which is also a cultivar of Sambucus nigra. I purchased these two at a summer clearance sale at a local box store. After getting them home, I discovered they are a zone 4 or better plant and keep them in large pots which are moved into the a protected area for the winter. With the exception of the Black Lace cultivars, the others will be planted in the south and west perimeter of my dome greenhouse. Three of the Sambucus nigra were planted the summer of 2014 and grew very well this summer. The Sambucus canadensis plant will stay in the protection of the greenhouse this winter as it didn’t have a lot of vigorous growth this summer. This spring, it will go out with the other three. The Black Lace will remain in pots to be placed outside the greenhouse door to entice pollinators to visit. I haven’t decided where to place the native plant, but may try and gather a few more plants to add to the perimeter of our property. D.B.

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Posted in Elderberry (Sambucus)

Mummy berry!

Posted on October 19, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Just a little Halloween humor.  Mummy berry!  Blueberry Mummyberry

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Posted in Blueberries (Vaccinium)

A summer berry picking job!

Posted on October 18, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Last summer one of those kids in Finland who didn’t have a summer job ended up in the news. This 14-year old boy got a hint from his mother that picking berries could be a great way to earn money during the summer. As picking berries is everyman’s right in Finland, the boy looked for good wild berry spots, and picked 350 litres of blueberries in four weeks! He made 1500 euros (1700 USD) by selling those blueberries, many of those buyers were his school teachers.

If no one offers you a job, create it yourself!

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Posted in Berry Harvesting

Swedish Lingonberries

Posted on October 18, 2015 by | Leave a comment

I found this great website on lingonberries, and especially the importance of lingonberries in Swedish culture. I found it interesting that you can buy frozen lingonberries all year round in Sweden. Swedish Lingonberries

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Posted in Lingonberry, Lowbush cranberry, (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), Recipes

Alaska Berry Wine

Posted on October 18, 2015 by | Leave a comment

I was thinking about local berry farms and berry products, and here is one more way to use berries- – wine. Alaska Berry Wine I would be curious to try some of those, I’m typically thinking about grapes when I think of wine, but I guess there is nothing wrong in making it from other berries. Or (check this website) even rhubarb….

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Posted in Businesses, Wine, Liqueur

Cutting Propagation Experiments

Posted on October 18, 2015 by | Leave a comment

What is the need for hormone treatments in vegetative propagation? Perhaps this article will help decide. The author surely can’t be all that bad. It has experiments with highbush cranberry, bog blueberry, and soapberry. Cutting propagation

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Posted in Blueberries (Vaccinium), Highbush cranberry (Viburnum), Propagation

Good Berry List for Alaska

Posted on October 18, 2015 by | Leave a comment

As others have mentioned, the Cooperative Extension is a great resource for info about berries (and Alaskan-related recipes of all kinds).  They also have lots of info about growing things.  Check out the publication “Growing Tree and Bush Fruits in Alaska.”  This publication is from 2011, and so far the only Gooseberry variety that they recommend is Pixwell.  (I have tried a couple other varieties, but they were in a spot in the garden that had terrible drainage, so I pulled the plants and plan to try them again in 2016).  –Emily  Berries for Alaska

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Posted in Uncategorized

Ancient huckleberries!

Posted on October 18, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Not where you would expect to find plant information but a piece of “history” nonetheless. Huckleberries (Gayluccacia)

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Posted in Uncategorized

Bearberries

Posted on October 18, 2015 by | Leave a comment

This should answer every question on Bearberrys known to man. Bearberries

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Video- strawberry ripening

Posted on October 18, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Here is a video that shows a time laps of a strawberry ripening and then dying. Quite elegant.   Strawberry ripening

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Posted in Uncategorized

Raspberry Leaf Tea- herbal medicine

Posted on October 18, 2015 by | 1 comment

Raspberry Leaf Tea:

Raspberry leaf tea has been used for centuries as a folk medicine to treat canker sores, cold sores, and gingivitis in persons of all ages and anemia, leg cramps, diarrhea, and morning sickness in pregnant women, and as a uterine relaxant.

Once you’ve collected a decent amount of leaves, give them a quick rinse and dry them out. I use a dehydrator and just use the herb setting and check the leaves every so often to see if they are dried.

Once your leaves are completely dry, it’s time to break them up.  I like to process the leaves in batches, as needed, throughout the year.  Freshly broken leaves are more potent than leaves that have been left to sit for months on end, so only use enough for your immediate needs.

There are several methods for breaking up your raspberry leaves. I use a food processor, but use whatever you have.  Even your fingers will work.  Use a teaspoon or so of broken leaves in an 8 oz. cup of not quite boiling water and steep for 3-8 minutes.

I can’t wait for my tea, so I never can wait 8 minutes. Steep to suit your taste, and add some honey if you prefer a sweeter cup of tea.

Store your leaves out of direct sunlight in an airtight container such as a glass jar with lid.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Alaska Gooseberry Club?

Posted on October 17, 2015 by | Leave a comment

This is an interesting article about gooseberries from a farm that is bringing them back.  Perhaps we need a Gooseberry Club in Alaska to reinvigorate the craze of years past.  Check out the picture of the world’s largest gooseberry!  Who’s up to the challenge? Gooseberries

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Posted in Gooseberries (Ribes)

Fruit Formation- Cloudberry (akpiq)

Posted on October 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Here is a blog from Kotzebue, AK . The writer has a great series of  photos of a cloudberry or more appropriately, akpiq,  ripening.  Cloudberry ripening

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Posted in Cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus)

Variable Wild Harvests in Alaska

Posted on October 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Alaska Public Media recently reported on a study that invited Alaskans to report on the quality of their local berry harvests. The study “suggests that the harvests of several popular wild berries are becoming less reliable in many areas of the state.”

Further research is necessary to investigate what may or may not be causing this reported variability, but I have wondered often what sort of changes we might expect to see from berries due to the unseasonable weather we’ve experienced in recent years.

That being said, my picking spots provided ample highbush and alpine blueberries this year! We access them with boats and ample hiking, so picking pressure is low.

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Posted in Berry Harvesting, Foraging, Wild harvesting

Blueberry Seed Extraction

Posted on October 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Extract the seeds from berries. This is a simple statement – but not very clear to an amateur who has never done this either at home or in a lab. So of course, Google, comes to the rescue! I found this link from the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Maine which explains how to extract seeds from blueberries. This procedure could easily be done with other types of berries. Blueberry Seed Extraction

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Posted in Blueberries (Vaccinium), Propagation

Berry Shrub Recipe

Posted on October 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Summer may be over, but you can still enjoy a nice cold shrub.  Old fashioned drinks of all kinds are making a come-back, and a shrub is one that should be better known.  A shrub, also known as a drinkable vinegar, is a tart and sugary beverage made with berries and herbs.  This recipe has two parts–first make a sweet berry vinegar, then make a berry shrub: 4 qt. raspberries or strawberries, cleaned but not washed 2 qt. cider vinegar Add the vinegar to the berries (a gallon jar works well) and allow to stand for 24 hours.  Strain and measure the resulting liquid.  Add 1.5 lb sugar for each quart of liquid, and boil gently for 30 minutes.  Skim and allow to cool.  Pour into sterilized bottles and cap for future use in beverages. To prepare Berry Shrub, put 3 tablespoons of the vinegar into an iced tea glass, fill with ice, and add water or club soda.  Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve with a straw. Alaska Northwest Books. 1982. Alaska Wild Berry Guide & Cookbook. Graphic Arts Center Publishing Co, Seattle, WA.

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Posted in Recipes

Berry Picking and Politics in North Korea

Posted on October 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Here is an article about berry picking in North Korea and how politics can be very involved. A short interesting read.   Berry Picking North Korea

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Posted in Berry Harvesting