Gardening: 2015-2016

[Smithy]

@djyee100, if I lived where you do I'd get myself to the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens in Santa Rosa.  I bought a rosemary plant there oh, 5 or 8 years ago, and until this winter it has flourished - a happy reminder of a trip with my mother and sister.  This winter it was badly neglected, and when I arrived back home I found it struggling to survive.  I've cut away its 4 very dead branches and repotted the root with two surviving branches, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  It's a good variety that I recommend for culinary value, and I think in your area it would thrive. The plants they sell there aren't necessarily descended from those of Burbank's garden (although some are), but they are all of types that he could have grown in his day.     

 

[Deryn]

Finally found an elderberry bush today. Next year, perhaps haskap bushes will find their way here too. I would have indulged in those this year but I was told one has to buy at least 3 varieties in order to be relatively sure of pollination.

 

Now to get everything planted (also have many herbs and a tomato to be sited as well).

 

My eyes and imagination (when it comes to both food and gardening) are often way too big for my energy level these days so I am trying to go a bit slow with the purchases in case I don't get to planting them before they outgrow their pots or wither up from lack of love and die.

 

Today is mid-50s and it looks as though we won't be above 60 till at least the end of June. And rain ... well, we have had and will have loads of that, so digging and inserting are all I really have to do - no watering. Sun however we are lacking as yet.

[Fava]

 

Quote

Finally found an elderberry bush today.  Next year, perhaps haskap bushes will find their way here too. I would have indulged in those this year but I was told one has to buy at least 3 varieties in order to be relatively sure of pollination.

 

You need two or more cultivars, not three. I planted two different ones and I see berries forming this week.

edited to add- or do you refer to the hascap? Looking it up it seems Honeysuckle. 

Edited June 13, 2016 by Fava
Added question for clarificatio (log)

[Tere]

our wild elderberries are just flowering, as a touch point. 

 

Don't be worried if it takes time to get its stride - I have an ornamental red elder in my hot border and it's just getting its mojo after about 3 years.

 

And then you have choices - flowers or fruit? I steal flowers from the local train station to keep my fruit but more is probably better if you are actually having to grow the things. They are tough and unforgiving though - mine survive -15 to -20 degrees C comfortably.

[Deryn]

6 hours ago, Fava said:

 

 

You need two or more cultivars, not three. I planted two different ones and I see berries forming this week.

edited to add- or do you refer to the hascap? Looking it up it seems Honeysuckle. 

 

 

No, haskap - for berries. Local nursery told me 3 which surprised me - wonder if that stipulation is because of our climate/area somehow (or guided by 'profit motive'). I may get some next time I go to town if I only need 2 and give it a shot.

 

Tere - I expect I will be adding more elderberries (perhaps even in a week or two) for exactly that reason - having to decide if I would like the flowers or the berries.

Edited June 14, 2016 by Deryn (log)

[djyee100]

Deryn (and anybody else), What do you cook with elderberries? I've never tried them.

Edited June 14, 2016 by djyee100 (log)

[Tere]

I've made elderberry curd before, that was nice if a bit runny. They are nice in a sauce with something like venison. I reckon they might be good in a sorbet - in fact I have some elderberry puree in the freezer I might try that with. They make good wine apparently although I've never tried making it.

 

Flower wise elderberry cordial is easy and very nice - and again they are supposed to make a good champagne style wine. I've made left over elderberry cordial into still wine before and then freeze concentrated it to make a liqueur. 

 

Last week I had a lemon balm creme brulee with sharp elderflower jelly and dried elderflowers and that was delicious.

[djyee100]

I can imagine elderberry sauce going well with venison. Maybe roast duck also?

 

I just remembered that elderberry wine played a key role in Arsenic and Old Lace.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenic_and_Old_Lace_(film)

Edited June 14, 2016 by djyee100 (log)

[Kerry Beal]

We had elderberries on the property growing up - I recall making elderberry wine - I too recall the reference in Arsenic and Old Lace.

 

[Deryn]

Tere just about covered my uses for elderberries/flowers to date - and then some. Thanks. I have never owned my own bushes till now - so any elderberries I have had access to have all been 'foraged' or, in one case, a gift from a neighbour who had some bushes. A glass of cold slightly carbonated lemonade-elderberry cordial is lovely on a hot summer's day. I have never made elderberry wine but perhaps that will be in my future if I eventually have a decent crop. I have swirled syrup into ice cream and added it to a pie. I used some over a pork roast once, and if I had moose, I would definitely try that with an elderberry 'compote' of some kind.

 

That lemon balm crème brulee with elderberry jelly sounds delightful. My lemon balm (last season's didn't survive the winter  ) is still in a container awaiting planting. Would be nice if both managed to produce decently before fall so I can try that combo.

[Martin Fisher]

Lots of elderberries where I grew up.

Some of the things we used to make — elderberry-sour cream cake, elderberry jelly, jam, syrup, pancakes, pie, wine, crumble and cobbler.

[heidih]

I was gonna try some elderberries from seed but the process looks chemically not fun - perhaps will try digging up seedlings next season instead.,,,, Not for me but for a friend as I can forage what I want,

[Fava]

We harvest the Elderberries when dark and ripe, cutting the umbels really close, so as not to include too much of the stems. Ideally, harvesting after a rain is perfect. I float them once with water in a large pot to eliminate bugs and remove any leaves or twigs. Water gets totally drained, nothing else added at this point, and the pot goes on the stove and gets slowly heated up while I every so often use my potato masher to break the berries and release the juice. Once this whole pot is thoroughly cooked and smashed, I filter the whole mash through several layers of cheese cloth ( or, if you have a special bag on hand which is used to squeeze grated potatoes in order to make German dumplings ) over a bowl. Once this stops dripping and can be comfortably squeezed, I will do that. It will take couple of hours. The now fairly dry residual skins, stems, seeds get tossed out with the cheese cloth. I measure the amount of liquid and follow the direction for proper amounts of sugar and pectin and boil the whole mix per instructions. While screaming hot I fill my super clean mason jars, close them tightly, turn them once over and back again and then set them on the counter to cool down. 

Most of the time this method yields a beautiful, very concentrated syrup, once in a blue moon it sets as jelly. We prefer the syrup, since it goes perfectly with waffles and even better over Ice cream.

i would like to mention that I have never lost a jar to any kind of spoilage when prepared like that, even after a couple of years in the pantry at room temperature. 

[djyee100]

1 hour ago, DiggingDogFarm said:

Some of the things we used to make — elderberry-sour cream cake, elderberry jelly, jam, syrup, pancakes, pie, wine, crumble and cobbler.

 

This is my kind of food. That lemonade-elderberry cordial sounds good too.

[huiray]

On 6/12/2016 at 11:43 PM, Smithy said:

@djyee100, if I lived where you do I'd get myself to the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens in Santa Rosa.  I bought a rosemary plant there oh, 5 or 8 years ago, and until this winter it has flourished - a happy reminder of a trip with my mother and sister.  This winter it was badly neglected, and when I arrived back home I found it struggling to survive.  I've cut away its 4 very dead branches and repotted the root with two surviving branches, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  It's a good variety that I recommend for culinary value, and I think in your area it would thrive. The plants they sell there aren't necessarily descended from those of Burbank's garden (although some are), but they are all of types that he could have grown in his day.     

 

 

I think rosemary 'Logee's Blue' is the bestest.

[KennethT]

@ElainaA If you have lots of garlic, one thing to do that is very tasty is to mince and then fry it.  Drain well on paper towels, and then keep it in a tupperware with a couple of desiccant packs wrapped in a paper towel (so the packs don't touch the food).  That way, it stays nice and crispy for a long time.  Sprinkling it on top can make almost anything taste better!

 

Host's note: the gardening conversation continues here.

Edited June 19, 2016 by Smithy
Added host's note (log)