[nduetime]

When we had the homestead weekend Mt blue informed me I had gooseberries on the property, finally found them today, thanks Cathy!

What I did not know I had was aton of wild plums! Four or five trees at least and man are they sweet! (happy dance!)

I also have choke cherries, a couple mulberry trees, black raspberries, and wild grapes.

It is like little presents from God everytime I find something new.

 

[MELOC]

i know what you mean. i found a fox grape vine this year. i knew i had them...somewhere, but the original vine disappeared over the years. i think i will spread a section of the vine on the ground and cover it with dirt here and there and make some new plants.

 

[Tirzah]

What a blessing! I would love to have all of those (or even one ) on our property.

Wild Plum Jelly is sooo good and so is pie!

Here is a recipe for Plum Pie:

Spiced Country Plum Pie


Pastry for double crust pie:
4 cups halved Italian prune plums, unpeeled (really you can use any firm plum)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons quick cooking tapioca
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
¼-1/2 teaspoon coriander

Roll out bottom pastry and fit into 9 inch pie plate. Do not trim. In large bowl, combine plums and lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine sugar, tapioca, cinnamon and coriander. Add sugar mixture to plums and let stand 15 minutes. Spoon plum mixture into pie shell, mounding slightly in the center. Melt butter and drizzle over filling. Roll out pastry top and prepare lattice top if desired. Trim and flute edges. Bake in 425F oven for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 375F and continue baking for 35 minutes or until pastry is golden. Let cool on rack and serve while still warm.

 

[nduetime]

oh oh! That sounds really good. I just love these plums, they are small but packed full of sweetness and flavor. Thanks for the recipe!

 

[YounGrey]

Sweet! (pun intended)

 

[pixelphotograph]

I know how you feel we have a wild blueberry that grows on our land and its everywhere I didnt even know what it was I figured it was a weed bush. Silly me.
We also have two plums and muscadines as well.

 

[katydidagain]

I went wandering my Dad's 3 acres in hopes of finding something yummy; I thought I'd found a wild plum and maybe a nice grape. Excitedly, I ran and got the step ladder for closer inspection. Ha! Some very horrid tasting grape (or at least so far--tiny, very green, one seed and kinda wrinkly--drought related?). The plum? Just another stupid persimmon. Blech!

Gooseberries would be heavenly! Enjoy!

 

[Ravenlost]

Persimmons aren't stupid! I love our persimmons and so do my dogs and chickens!

Wild grapes need sugar as they are rather tart. Muscadines are a different matter though! When I was a kid my brother, sister and I loved to wander the woods on Fall afternoons to snack on wild muscadines. Heavenly!

So far I have found several wild fruits on our property and get very excited every time I find a new one!

 

[katydidagain]

Persimmons aren't stupid! I love our persimmons and so do my dogs and chickens!

They do attract deer. Just today I was within 15' of 2 does (1 with fawn). I told my brother. "Dinner?" "I wish!"

 

[Ravenlost]

My dogs keep the deer away so I rarely see one.

 

[nduetime]

The only thing that bothers me is that we have been here for nearly ten years and I had no clue. I never thought much about the plums as everytime I saw them they were green, I figured some type of may apple or something. Cannot believe I missed them all these years. Summer is very busy for us and the boarders, gardens, grandkids, I could go on and on but you all know what it can be like. I think I need to slow down and take more walks just for enjoyment rather than fence repair etc.

 

[big rockpile]

Wild on our property Persimmon,Strawberry,Blueberry,Raspberry,Blackberry,Dewberry,Elderberry,Graps,and Plum.

big rockpile

 

[nduetime]

Gee, Rockpile, you have an entire farmers market there. Lucky you!

 

[mtnbluet881]

The only thing that bothers me is that we have been here for nearly ten years and I had no clue. I never thought much about the plums as everytime I saw them they were green, I figured some type of may apple or something. Cannot believe I missed them all these years. Summer is very busy for us and the boarders, gardens, grandkids, I could go on and on but you all know what it can be like. I think I need to slow down and take more walks just for enjoyment rather than fence repair etc.

Glad you found them. You really have a gem there because most American farmers have gotten greedy and cut down most of the vegetation between their crop fields. Hence, they have eliminated the best part of God's gifts--the berries!

With being by the river, I enjoy the peace and quiet but I can only "walk" the river with my eyes, as we only have a very small piece of the pie--that is a small yard. So, enjoy what you have and even improve on it. Many of the hybrids give us larger size berries. Take the European blackberries, their berries are huge! You could order them from mail order catalogs and really increase your berry availability. (Doesn't have to be blackberries, you can pick and choose to your preferences. LOL)

Also, there is something very attractive about the edge of woods to migrating birds. So when fall arrives, be sure to get up close and listen for the various bird calls to see what is coming through!

 

[moonwolf]

I've got wild plums on my stead. Also lots of chokecherries, which normally I don't even pick. Wild plums and highbush cranberries are really good together for venison and other wild game dishes (grouse, duck, etc.). No wild gooseberries that I know of here, but I remember as a kid further south in the midwest picking them wild and stuffing our faces with the sour fruit. lol. I planted here once a Josta. It's a cross of gooseberry and currant, I think. It's almost like a gooseberry taste, but it's dark purple colour. Today I picked another gallon of wild blueberreis off site and up a logging road only 5 miles from my stead. Those are the best! Noticed also the wild filberts (hazelnuts) are in some number this year. Haven't had those around to harvest for several years now. The rains must have helped! lol