Berried Treasure
Growing Superberries in Your Kansas Garden
Steve Hess
From the Summer’s Garden
Flowers are usually the first thing that grabs our attention when we’re selecting plants to add to our landscapes. Surely, they’re showy and breathtaking, but most of them flower for just a short period, and many of them only once during the growing season. Balancing your current superstars with other plants ensures a rich garden texture and year-round appeal. It will also stretch you from the conventional.
Sometimes the same flowers that seduced us into opening our wallets might be replaced with an amazing fruit diversity. Colorful and tasty fruits of all shapes and sizes can add drama to our landscapes throughout the year. In addition to their visual beauty, many fruits are important sources of nutrition for wildlife, particularly birds as well as for the gardener.
Typically, common and well-known fruits can be grown here but involve demands and challenges. Apples, pears peaches, and cherries must be sprayed and pruned often to ensure quality fruiting. I grow these fruits because I love them, but It is an effort in time, money, and perseverance to end up with a useful crop of fruit.
Lesser known and usually not included in people’s gardens, superberries are particularly useful and welcome because many of them are attractive perennial shrubs or trees with fruits that are not only delicious but powerfully healthful.
Beyond their ornamental and nutritive value, homegrown berries are also much more affordable than the store-bought alternatives and freshness leads to better taste and appearance. You are less likely to find them for purchase in the big box grocery stores.
These superberries have high antioxidant levels. They are easy to grow at home and will produce an abundantly nutritious harvest. Even if you don’t use all of the fruit, they’ll attract appreciative birds to your garden. Nurseries typically begin shipping berry starts in March and April, so now is a good time to place orders.
There is an amazing variety of superberries that grow well here in our area. Let’s take a look at some berried treasures.
Red Currant (Ribes rubrum)
Red Currants have a wide spectrum of uses all the way from fresh eating to jams, jellies, pies, fruit leathers, and wines. They go wonderfully mixed with oatmeal or in ice cream. For those who are unfamiliar with the unsurpassed flavor profile of the red currant, it can be described as having the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity with unique citrusy notes and a subtle musky undertone. Being very high in Vitamin C, they are a vital medicine for improving the health of the immune system. Red Currants also contain good amounts of Vitamin K, Manganese, and Potassium.
Red Currants grow on a medium-sized shrub that reaches an average size of 3 X 3′. Over time they tend to spread by burying branches and rooting where they make soil contact, this process is known as layering. If encouraged, layering can be used as a surefire way to expand your currant planting and to refresh older plants. The ornamental presence of these compact bushes is perhaps one of their most respected attributes because beauty is an important garden function!
Their dense foliage resembles that of a maple tree or high-bush cranberry. In early spring their small inconspicuous white flowers appear in clusters, leading to a bountiful display of blueberry-sized red berries that ripen throughout June and into July. When glistening in the sunlight the berries look like translucent jewels dangling from the bush.
They grow well in a variety of soils but generally prefer soil that is slightly alkaline and well-drained. Adding compost and wood ash around your plants will increase yields. Red Currants are one of the few plants that will bear fruit well in shade. Plants can be planted singly or 2-3 feet apart to form an attractive hedge.
Currants are an ideal plant for the edible landscape or the permaculture garden. They are very low maintenance and yield prolifically for years upon years. The bulk of management is in harvesting, mulching, and perhaps providing an annual side dressing of compost.
WHAT TO DO WITH THEM
Loads of yummy things at this website:
https://www.halfscratched.com/red-currant-recipes/
Currant Rosemary Olive Oil Scones
https://familyspice.com/red-currant-rosemary-olive-oil-scones/
Red Currant Peach Pavlova Nests
https://beyondsweetandsavory.com/red-currant-peach-pavlova-nests/
Black currant (Ribes nigrum)
Black currants are woody shrubs that are native to Europe and Asia and were introduced to the Americas back in the 1800s. This plant is part of the Gooseberry family and comes in many different varieties. The black currant grows to become a medium-sized shrub, only around 5 feet in size. This plant blossoms in spring and is pollinated by insects. By the middle of summer, the shrub bears fruit and the green berries ripen into edible, glossy, dark purple berries. Each shrub has the potential to produce up to 10 pounds of fruit a year.
These shrubs are hardy and can survive our winter months. They are usually planted in the fall or winter so that growth can start in the spring. Most Americans are not familiar with black currants. They can be great with many savory or sweet dishes as well as jams, syrups, and alcoholic beverages. Unlike many other berry-producing shrubs, black currants do not have thorns along the stems and the bark of the shrub has a rough texture.
Black currants have a strong, tart taste due to the high levels of tannins, resulting in strong, earthy tones. People describe the taste as a grape-like flavor, acidic to taste, with hints of cherry. When dried, black currants contain hints of vanilla and wildflowers. These berries are usually not eaten fresh. They are sweeter when eaten dried and transform to heavenly with the small addition of sweetener.
Black currants are nutrient-rich berries that oftentimes have beneficial effects on the body. They have high levels of vitamin C as well as iron and manganese. These berries have plenty of antioxidants that help strengthen the immune system and treat minor health illnesses such as sore throats or symptoms of the flu. In addition, they have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antiseptic properties.
Black currants make great pairings with drinks whether in teas or alcoholic beverages. They have a full-bodied flavor, similar to that of wine. Cassis is a popular cordial from France made from black currants.
WHAT TO DO WITH THEM
Black Currant Cordial- Cassis
https://imbibemagazine.com/recipe/homemade-creme-de-cassis/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioF6ifrx1lY&t=80s
Black current Coulis
https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/black-currant-coulis/
Goji Berry (Lycium barbarum L)
Sales offers proclaim, “Just plant and pick!” It’s that easy with the Goji Berry. Not only is it low maintenance but is also packed with nutrients that most find hard to resist! This superfruit is believed to treat a variety of ailments and diseases. They are packed full of antioxidants, amino acids, essential fatty acids and are commonly used to reduce inflammation. They are safe to eat right off the bush!
Goji berry, also known as the Chinese wolfberry, is a brightly colored fruit from a native shrub of China. These orange berries have a light sweetness and rich aroma that complements both sweet and savory foods. Goji berries make a welcome addition to your teas, juices, soups, braises, and smoothies and are one of the first superfoods boasting many health benefits.
The Goji Berry plant is by far one of the easiest plants to grow. It is disease-resistant, and very rarely bothered by insects and animals- squirrels, deer, and rabbits stay clear of it. Goji are drought-tolerant and prefer well-drained soil. Goji plants can tolerate extremely cold temperatures, dry conditions, and humidity.
The plant grows well in the ground as well as in containers and can be planted in both sun and partial shade. However, the harvest will be greater with more sun. When it matures the Goji Berry will yield close to 7 lbs. of berries a year under the right growing conditions. Bright red, delicious berries appear around the second season. This Goji plant will continue to produce year after year.
The longer you have them on the bush the sweeter they will taste. You can eat them fresh, freeze them, dry them, or even juice them! These self-pollinating plants do well by themselves but thrive when planted in multiples!
Light purple, bell-shaped flowers bloom in May and continue throughout the summer. These jellybean-shaped fruits ripen over a long period in mid-summer, with up to four weeks of harvest. This multi-stemmed shrub grows to 5 to 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide and if left untrimmed could grow even taller. Goji Berry plants make a beautiful fountain-shaped bush when trained through a simple cage.
WHAT TO DO WITH THEM
-add them to oatmeal
-feature in homemade granola:
https://www.iherb.com/blog/try-goji-berries-for-flavor-and-nutrition/587
Will function the same as raisins in recipes
Nanking Bush Cherry (Prunus tomentosa)
Nanking Bush Cherries are early bloomers and extra productive. A good choice for borders and mass planting, this cold-hardy, vigorous bush produces sweetly scented spring flowers and tremendous crops of edible fruits. The bright red, tart cherries have a tangy flavor and ripen in June. Often used in jams and jellies, the fruits can also be eaten fresh. Nanking Bush Cherry grows 6-8 ft. tall with a similar spread. For best yields, plant two or more bushes.
Nanking Cherry is another plant native to northern China. They were introduced to the United States in 1882. Due to their region of origin, Nanking cherries are particularly well adapted to nearly every climate and condition, including extreme cold, extreme heat, arid conditions, high elevation, and nearly all soil types.
Pink buds become a profusion of dense and ornamental white flowers that emerge before leaves. Flowers develop on 1-year-old and older growth and with its tightly spaced nodes, it has been described as looking like “cotton candy” when in bloom. Flowers are very frost tolerant. The Nanking Cherry will often set full crops when other fruits are lost to late-spring freezes. Fruit ripens in June and ranges from sweet to tart in taste. the fruit is smaller than regular cherries with a large pit inside.
The Nanking cherry is part of the genus Prunus along with other cherries. With proper care and maintenance, they can live up to 50 years. Because of the beauty of the bush, it makes an awesome edible hedge or windbreak. The plants require cross-pollination and must have two or more plants in the area. Because of the beauty of the bush, it is sometimes used as an edible hedge or windbreak.
TO DO WITH THEM
CHERRY BOUNCE
https://www.southernliving.com/cherry-bounce-7556386
NANKING CHERRY JAM
https://www.acanadianfoodie.com/2013/08/08/nanking-cherry-jelly/
Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
The chokecherry is a deciduous small tree belonging to the rose family, native to North America. It is aptly named for the astringent acidic taste of its reddish cherries, which may be made into jelly and preserves. The plant has a long history of use among indigenous peoples; it is an important source of food and medicine and has a number of ceremonial uses.
The plant grows to a height of 20 feet, producing hanging spikes of disagreeably scented white flowers. The slender brown twigs also have an unpleasant odor and a bitter taste as well.
The astringent fruits are drupes and range in color from red to black.
There are several varieties, including eastern chokecherry with crimson fruit; western chokecherry with a fuzzy underleaf and dark red fruit; and black chokecherry with black fruit.
My experience to date is only in the wild, but I remember the juice to be very flavorful. Since the birds love the berries, it would make a good addition to the garden, helping to serve as a decoy from other fruits. This just might have to be my next tree purchase.
WHAT TO DO WITH THEM:
SYRUP
https://foragerchef.com/chokecherry-syrup/
CHOKECHERRY JELLY
theprairiehomestead.com/2012/08/how-to-make-chokecherry-jelly-low-sugar-and-honey-variations.html
American Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
American Elderberry can be found growing wild across the United States. They have numerous uses for both the flowers and the berries. Growing in fence rows, roadsides stream banks, and thickets. Cultivated plants have been bred to achieve large berries and more vigorous growth. I interplant wild elderberries with cultivated plants to help improve disease resistance and pollination.
Elderberries grow as canes that will provide flowers and fruit for a few years. The best berries grow on first and second-year canes. You can spend a good deal of time pruning your elderberries but I have learned that Missouri growers simply cut them down to the ground every fall. It is so much easier to manage them this way. The berries are voracious and spring up fresh and new in spring without knowing what happened and still produce plenty of berries.
European Elderberry (Sambuscus Negra)
European elderberry is less common in the US and is generally available through mail-order nurseries. They have larger fruit and that’s why I like to interplant with the native variety. The most notable difference between European and American elderberries is that the European develops multiple trunks rather than dozens of canes. The plant is more a tree than a shrub and can grow to nearly 20 feet. Because berries only form on second-year growth, pruning consists more of keeping the branches thinned for air and light penetration, like traditional fruit tree pruning. Another benefit to adding a European variety to a bed is their very fragrant blossoms. Elderberry forms large clusters of creamy-white flowers called “umbels”, followed by copious amounts of berries which are technically, drupes, the same family as peaches, cherries, almonds, and pistachios.
Wait to harvest the berries until they are dark purple, almost black or whenever the birds begin to steal them! Harvest the berries by cutting the entire umbel of fruit and dropping it into a large plastic trash bag. Load the bag with harvested berries, compress, seal, and pop into the freezer. After freezing, the berries are much easier to strip from the stems without squishing them.
Raw elderberries are not edible nor any of the green parts. Cooking neutralizes the poisonous compounds which is why all recipes calling for elderberries will require heat processing.
Another good thing about elderberries is that they flourish in sun and partial shade. The elderberry is a great candidate for semi-shaded spots. They also tolerate less-than-perfect soils. They don’t bat an eye in our hot, dry summers. and make beautiful living screens during the growing season. The plant is more a tree than a shrub and can grow to nearly 20 feet.
Elderberry juice can function similarly to antiviral medications such as Airborne and Theraflu and acts as an effective immune-boosting cold and flu remedy. Take a tablespoon a day and you are good to go!
Elderflowers are used for a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including St. Germain, a popular elderflower liquor. If you want to harvest flowers, remember to harvest only a portion of them or you will not have a fruit harvest.
WHAT TO DO WITH THEM
ELDERFLOWER SYRUP
https://thebusybaker.ca/homemade-elderflower-syrup/
ELDERBERRY SYRUP https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/228528/elderberry-syrup/?print
ELDERBERRY JELLY
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/elderberry_jelly/
Aronia , Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
Aronia, commonly known as chokeberry, is an attractive multi-stemmed plant that has three seasons of interest. It also serves as a convenient privacy screen due to lush foliage.
a dark purplish-black color. Fruit yield is substantial, and branches frequently droop under their weight.
In spring, fragrant white flowers cover the plant before giving way to green berries. By July, the berries will have increased in size and become a dark purplish-black color. Fruit yield is substantial, and branches frequently droop under their weight.
For best nutrition and flavor, allow the berries to remain on the bush until they are fully colored and before they start to wrinkle. By fall, much of the foliage will have turned red before it falls for the winter.
Aronia’s real use is as a processing berry. They are at their best as part of a blend of fruits because they contribute nutritious richness and a smooth velvety thickness when pureed.
Aronia berries are one of the richest plant sources of phenolic substances which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antioxidant and antiplatelet attributeds.
WHAT TO DO WITH THEM:
https://thisbeautifulfarmlife.com/quick-berry-syrup/ FULL BERRY SYRUPhttps://youtu.be/7ryQ8Zkbtuc
DESSERT/BEVERAGE SYRUP
https://foragerchef.com/sweet-and-sour-chokeberry-or-elderberry-syrup/
VIDEOS: FORAGER CHEF ARONIA JAM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ryQ8Zkbtuc&t=149s
Honeyberries (Lonicera caerulea)
The honeyberry is a species of honeysuckle native to many regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, Russia, Asia, and North America. In Japan, it’s known as Haskap. Some people say honeyberries taste like a blueberry crossed with a package of SweeTARTS.” That’s a wonderful description. Honeyberries can be tart but are deliciously mixed with other fruits. They are also good as an ice cream topping, mixed into a smoothie, or made into jam. Generally, wherever you’d use blueberries, you can try using honeyberries, a pie certainly comes to mind.
Honeyberries grow well in full sun in moist soil and aren’t as fussy about soil pH as blueberries. You will need two varieties to ensure good pollination because honeyberries don’t self-pollinate. They also recommend choosing two varieties that bloom around the same time. Most online nurseries will list which ones grow well together for good cross-pollination. Pick your honeyberries when they come off easily from the stem. For larger shrubs, place a tarp underneath and gently shake the plant. Ripe honeyberries will readily fall off.
Some honeyberries can grow to six to eight feet tall and five feet wide, so plant at least four to six feet apart in a row. Most honeyberries don’t require pruning in the first four to five years. They produce fruit on one-year-old wood, so buds set the previous year will provide the berries you’ll get in early summer. The bushes provide fall color as well.
Here are two recommended varieties I just ordered. Boreal Beauty and Boreal Beast.
Both varieties are high in antioxidants, as high or higher than in blueberries! Pictured here is Boreal Beauty. This is Boreal Beast and serves as a pollinator designed to be planted with other Boreal Beauty. While Boreal Beast isn’t as pretty as Boreal Beauty, it has remarkable flavor – fresh or frozen. and both have excellent mildew resistance.
Putting “Beauty” and the “Beast” together will result in a successful harvest for both!
WHAT TO DO WITH THEM
https://adamantkitchen.com/haskap-honeyberry-recipes/
https://www.iga.net/en/inspiring_recipes/recipes/blue_honeyberry_white_chocolate_and_coconut_muffins
Use in anything for which you might use blueberries.
This spring consider some of these plants as a fun new gardening experience and added excitement in your kitchen!
Spring 2024 arrives challenging our lives with turmoil at home and abroad. We are hungry for peace, comfort, and escape that nurtures our spirits and promotes what makes us happy. Making home a happy place allows us to be uplifted with renewed spirits and positive energy. We emerge refreshed, to experience the celebration of life with those we love. This spring, we will help you make it happy…Back in Your Own Backyard! You are invited! From the Summer’s Garden Spring Sale,
Our Opening Night Garden Party is Wednesday, May 1 from 4 to 8 pm. Then our open hours are 10 am to 5 pm every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from May 2 to June 16th. And yes, we will also be open on Memorial Day, May 27.
MAIL ORDER LINKS:
RED AND BLACK CURRANTS, ELDERBERRY, ARONIA, HONEYBERRY, GOJI BERRY, NANKING BUSH CHERRY
2. https://raintreenursery.com/collections/berries
CURRANTS, ELDERBERRIES, GOJI BERRY, HONEYBERRIES
3. https://kriegersnursery.com/
RED AND BLACK CURRANTS, ELDERBERRIES, GOJJI BERRIES
CURRANTS, ELDERBERRY, ARONIA, HONEYBERRY
5. https://www.willisorchards.com/
GOJI BERRY, ELDERBERRY,
CHOKECHERRY
7. https://northernridgenursery.com/
CHOKECHERRY
8. https://penseberryfarm.com/
HONEYBERRIES
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