2022, 2023, 2024 Fruit seasons

[SwampDonkey]

Next will be to trim out the old raspberry and blackberry canes. I will have a cane cutter this year for the task, we'll see how it goes. I usually do that when the leaves fall. ;D

Lee Valley makes or perhaps only designed the cane cutter.

[Chuck White]

When you cut them back, do you cut them close to the ground?

[SwampDonkey]

I don't get fussy Chuck, a little bit a of stick won't hurt anything. I probably end up with an 1" stub on most. But I don't try that hard.

[Chuck White]

I guess I never heard that they should be cut back!

That's what's so great about this place, you can learn a lot here that you never heard of before!

[thecfarm]

We always cut the old black berry cane out. When dead and dry they can hurt when picking!!!!

[SwampDonkey]

Picked the first raspberries this morning in Royalton.   Had a few for dinner. Not the crop this year, eating them as I pick'm. I have lots of preserves from last year. I'd like to do some juice, but I don't see enough for that. Next year should be a good crop. You don't get heavy berry crops every year. 

I am going to do some blackberry jam later, with the seeds removed in the food mill. I'm into a jar of last years blackberry right now, some good stuff. 

I might have to raid my brothers rhubarb for some juice for the steamer.  Letting mine rest this summer. I need to move 2 or 3 more buds next spring from their old location. Those are old plants. One tough plant.

[SwampDonkey]

First batch of blackberry jam from 3 quarts of fresh picked berries. I run them through the food mill to get out the seeds.

[sawguy21]

Our orchardists are suffering due to the long hot spell, yields are down and the quality is not there. I have some good cherries but sure was disappointed in the peaches, they weren't juicy and lacked flavor. Haven't tried pears or plums yet. I really hope the apples do better, I need my fruit.

[SwampDonkey]

8 more pints of blackberry jam this morning.

[NewYankeeSawmill]

8 more pints of blackberry jam this morning.

Very nice! Got some jam still left over from last year, so this year we're fermenting the season's blackberries!



The only quiet cool dark place in the house is our closet. It's about ready to rack and clear and get ready to be bottled.

[SwampDonkey]

13 jars of jam left from last year here. I eat the stuff every day on something. Now I have 12 more.   Going to do 4 jars of grape jelly later.  A lot cheaper than $10 a jar at the grocery. The stuff in store is double what it was 4 years ago. That's for the good kind, stuff not full of gums.

[21incher]

Finally getting figs this year.  Took 5 years for the first sizable batch.  About a dozen  every 3 days. 

[SwampDonkey]

The grapes and raspberries didn't amount to much this year, nor did the elders. So no juice and no syrup this year. Even the Rhubarb had a pour year, didn't seem to winter good. I guess this winter I'll stick with Beta Tera Cranberry/Cherry juice and another kind with Pomegranate and blueberry in it by another maker.

Those figs look great. I always buy some Turkish figs when they come into season. Usually only see them in the winter around here. They don't put any chemicals on them, if you trust the packaging. Never hurt me yet, so good sign.

[NewYankeeSawmill]

I always buy some Turkish figs when they come into season....

Ha, I grabbed a pack of them at the grocer last night!