High Bush!

Jeff · September 20, 2009, 06:03:26 PM

The High Bush Cranberries that we like so much have had an extended season this year. Took longer to get ripe, and bush to bush seemed to ripen at different times as well. This is good, because this year, there has been some early leaf drop , and thanks to that, we have discovered an enormous patch that we never knew existed, and best part is, we are good friends of the landowner. ;D Pete and I picked 10 quarts today, and I just finished cleaning them while he is out hunting. I have enough now with what I already have from two other outings, to make approximately 60 pints of Jelly. 8)

SwampDonkey · September 20, 2009, 06:07:14 PM

Mom picked her yard cranberries last week and made jelly to.

I see where ya had to fight the bears off your arm. :D

woodsteach · September 20, 2009, 09:32:52 PM

OK for us southerners can you explain the cranberry thing. "On TV" they are always in water, do you have pix of them on the bush?

would those High bush types grow in SE Nebraska? Cause DanG I like cranberries

woodsteach

Jeff · September 20, 2009, 10:07:23 PM

woodsteach · September 20, 2009, 11:09:09 PM

Well.... I guess the water would have to be DanG deep to float those berries :D :D.

SwampDonkey · September 21, 2009, 03:40:11 AM

Woodsteach they are not really cranberries. They are viburnum shrubs like wild raisin, hobble bush and squash berry. Real cranberries are vaccinium like blueberries.

Jeff · September 21, 2009, 07:06:58 AM

Here is a good link.

http://www.umaine.edu/umext/cranberries/HighbushCranberry.htm

Jeff · September 21, 2009, 10:17:15 AM

A rainy day, so lots of time to make juice!

SwampDonkey · September 21, 2009, 04:37:31 PM

I bet it's a lot better than mountain ash juice. :D :D That was a funny episode. 8)

Jeff · September 21, 2009, 05:24:55 PM

Quote from: SwampDonkey on September 21, 2009, 04:37:31 PM
I bet it's a lot better than mountain ash juice. :D :D That was a funny episode. 8)

Anything is better then DOGBERRY! :D

Two batches of HBC done today, I'll take a pic after I clean up my jelly makin messes.

SwampDonkey · September 21, 2009, 05:46:28 PM

Myself, I'm cooking up a gallon of apple sauce from a 10 lb bag of local apples.

Jeff · September 21, 2009, 05:56:38 PM

First of the Jelly. Its really a pretty red, but the photo doesn't show it. 8.5 pints plus a pint for the cabin. Only about 40 pints or so ta go if I don't pick any more berries.

SwampDonkey · September 21, 2009, 05:59:42 PM

Yeah the jelly color usually stays about the color of the berries, I know what your saying. That color almost looks beet red.

Jeff · September 21, 2009, 06:21:16 PM

I'll take a picture of it on the FF jelly testing device, just before it enters quality control. That should show the true color.

Mooseherder · September 21, 2009, 06:22:24 PM

Is Pete making Wine with his Crop?

Jeff · September 21, 2009, 06:46:33 PM

Pete doesn't have a crop. He's a share cropper. :D

I dont like wine, but man, he made some blueberry that even I like. We have some Cherry up here too. It takes 11 quarts of berries to make a batch of wine, so he may or may not make cranberry. Depends if we go get more. There's plenty to get, so we may.

Jeff · September 21, 2009, 08:12:23 PM

It amazes me every year how I always try to taste a berry off the bush and its horrible, but the Jelly, well, once again, is AWESOME. ;D ;D

Sprucegum · September 22, 2009, 12:33:06 AM

If you are out wandering in the woods longer than you should be and get real thirsty just pop a cranberry in your mouth - an excellent thirst quencher. In the winter when carrying water gets hard :

you can pop a frozen cranberry in your mouth and be instantly rejuvenated ;).

trapper · September 23, 2009, 01:27:52 PM

Every year when deer hunting in northern WI I try to eat some regular wild cranberries from the bogs. ther are nothing like what you buy in the store.

SwampDonkey · September 23, 2009, 05:23:42 PM

Your probably eating V. oxycoccus. The store ones are also native and are V. macrocarpon and have a somewhat apple-like taste. Native to New Brunswick anyway. Ocean Spray is setting up one of the largest cranberry operations here in New Brunswick.

Another berry from the bogs is creeping snowberry, it's white and edible to, Gaultheria hispidula Underside of the leaves have whiskers held tight to the leaf.