Our Elder Tree is laden with pale blueberries! A different variety from the UK wild hedgerow one, but the taste and uses are the same. We decided to make some Elderberry Syrup, which involved simmering the berries gently with a minimum amount of water, once warm add cinnamon sticks, cloves, and freshly grated raw ginger; simmer till reduced, mash, and then press out the juice. Whilst still warm, add raw honey (we have a wonderful honey shop on Main Street) and bottle. Highly recommended for the prevention of colds and flu, it also increases insulin production and is therefore good for diabetes and other autoimmune diseases. I have made wine with the berries in the past which had a wonderful intense flavor, rather like port, but a word of caution, make sure to remove every bit of stem and twig, otherwise, it becomes incredibly bitter. We also have a red elderberry tree, but so far it does not have any berries.
It’s time to tidy up the Strawberries! They get their name from the custom of laying straw under the plants in the summer to protect the ripening fruit from the soil beneath; however, the straw should be removed in Fall so that it does not get sodden with winter rain and rot the plants. Our current row of strawberry plants, between the blueberry bushes, came from a clump at the end of one of the vegetable beds last year, and planted out to a complete row! They would appear to be the Remontant (ever-bearing) type as they have flowered and fruited throughout the summer and early fall. Now they need to have dead foliage and the runners removed, some of which have rooted and produced separate plants, which can be potted up and planted elsewhere; these should not be allowed to fruit in their first year. Strawberries are unique in carrying their seeds on the outside of the berry! We also have a pink-flowered variety (Pink Panda), as well as three varieties of native strawberries (coastal, woodland & wild); their fruit is tiny but has an intense flavor, definitely to be savored individually; in the UK these are known as Alpine strawberries.
- Angela
