You're Eating The Wrong Berries
Okay fellow gardeners, name berries you would (or would like to) grow on your lil' plot o' earth.
If I've read your mind (and I have), you've probably come up with the following berries:
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
And then you stopped. Right?
I know you did.
There's nothing wrong with them--they're delicious and you can BET I happen to have raspberries (sad as they are right now) in my garden. And I'm going to be adding blueberries (two kinds) this year too!
But you're forgetting SO MANY other berries, some that have even better health benefits that blueberries.
So today on the halfway homestead, lets talk about the unusual (but equally delicious) berries that you could growing in your garden right now, that are way better for you.
First up:
ELDERBERRIES (Sambucus Nigra)
If I've read your mind (and I have), you've probably come up with the following berries:
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
And then you stopped. Right?
I know you did.
There's nothing wrong with them--they're delicious and you can BET I happen to have raspberries (sad as they are right now) in my garden. And I'm going to be adding blueberries (two kinds) this year too!
But you're forgetting SO MANY other berries, some that have even better health benefits that blueberries.
So today on the halfway homestead, lets talk about the unusual (but equally delicious) berries that you could growing in your garden right now, that are way better for you.
First up:
ELDERBERRIES (Sambucus Nigra)
Some of you are from Europe and know this plant. Good for you! But a lot of Americans don't know about it! Isn't that sad?! Contrary to popular belief elderberries AREN'T just from Europe, we also have native species of it all over America AND Mexico! Elderberries aren't poisonous.....mostly. Okay fine, they're like MILDLY poisonous--but only if you eat gobs of them raw. You'll get an upset tummy--or maybe throw up. This is because the seed has arsenic in it. So like...you know....don't eat them raw.
But cooked? PERFECT. It renders the seed harmless and--get this: It's a super amazing cold medicine! Make a delicious syrup out of it and take a spoonful or 2 a day. Drizzle it on pancakes if you want! But they did a study in Europe and found that the kids who had elderberry syrup year round passed the flu season scott free while the kids who took vitamins found half of their kids still got a flu/cold.
The reason is because the compounds and vitamins in elderberry boosts your immune system IMMENSELY.
You can also make delicious mead, wine, cordial, juice, and jam out of it! So I mean..health AND deliciousness? Yes please!
And lucky us, you can grow it here in Southern California! I've got two kinds, the traditional one from Europe and one called Samdal, which is used as a pollinator. They don't NEED a pollinator (they're self fertile), but you'll get a bigger yield from it.
ALSO. OF. NOTE: Keep them in dappled sun. Traditionally they're found as smaller 'trees' in the under story of taller trees. I'll have a video fully detailing how to grow Elderberries here in SoCal. IT CAN BE DONE (and in a pot no less!)
GOOSEBERRIES
But cooked? PERFECT. It renders the seed harmless and--get this: It's a super amazing cold medicine! Make a delicious syrup out of it and take a spoonful or 2 a day. Drizzle it on pancakes if you want! But they did a study in Europe and found that the kids who had elderberry syrup year round passed the flu season scott free while the kids who took vitamins found half of their kids still got a flu/cold.
The reason is because the compounds and vitamins in elderberry boosts your immune system IMMENSELY.
You can also make delicious mead, wine, cordial, juice, and jam out of it! So I mean..health AND deliciousness? Yes please!
And lucky us, you can grow it here in Southern California! I've got two kinds, the traditional one from Europe and one called Samdal, which is used as a pollinator. They don't NEED a pollinator (they're self fertile), but you'll get a bigger yield from it.
ALSO. OF. NOTE: Keep them in dappled sun. Traditionally they're found as smaller 'trees' in the under story of taller trees. I'll have a video fully detailing how to grow Elderberries here in SoCal. IT CAN BE DONE (and in a pot no less!)
GOOSEBERRIES
Did you know these are super popular in England? No? They are! And they used to be popular here too back in the day! But they fell out of favor for things like blueberries and poptarts and coco puffs.
basically depending on the variety you get they can taste like sour grapes (if you pick them too early) or suuuuper sweet like mascato grapes if left to be almost overripe. The standard is usually more like strawberries/apples: tangy but also sweet-ish. I'm currently growing gooseberries called Houghton. I got a couple of berries and then the birds freaking ate them. Oh yeah. They ate them. Then I almost killed the poor thing by over watering it.
But rather than die it bounced back and not even 2 days later was producing all new leaves and I've just discovered a new cane growing up from the soil. So. Yeah. They're pretty hard to kill.
OH! I just remembered, I have a second kind of gooseberry but it's a clipping from someone's garden so whatever kind it is, I HAVE NO IDEA. I guess we'll all be surprised?!
So far, the houghton gooseberry needs dappled sun, but the other gooseberry REALLY thrives in full sun! Who knew!
BLACK CURRANTS/RED CURRANTS
basically depending on the variety you get they can taste like sour grapes (if you pick them too early) or suuuuper sweet like mascato grapes if left to be almost overripe. The standard is usually more like strawberries/apples: tangy but also sweet-ish. I'm currently growing gooseberries called Houghton. I got a couple of berries and then the birds freaking ate them. Oh yeah. They ate them. Then I almost killed the poor thing by over watering it.
But rather than die it bounced back and not even 2 days later was producing all new leaves and I've just discovered a new cane growing up from the soil. So. Yeah. They're pretty hard to kill.
OH! I just remembered, I have a second kind of gooseberry but it's a clipping from someone's garden so whatever kind it is, I HAVE NO IDEA. I guess we'll all be surprised?!
So far, the houghton gooseberry needs dappled sun, but the other gooseberry REALLY thrives in full sun! Who knew!
BLACK CURRANTS/RED CURRANTS
Okay look. Currants are awesome. But did you know your grocery store is lying to you!?
If you go to Mother's Market or Sprouts or Whole Foods, or whatever, you'll see in the 'dried fruit' and 'nuts' side that there's a container full of 'Black Currants'. But they're not actually black currants. They're tiny grapes.
yeah. They're feeding you raisins and mislabeling it BECAUSE THEY ASSUME YOU DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER.
And you probably don't.
Because you've never heard of black or red (or even white or pink) currants, have you?
Well they're AWESOME. Red currants are tart (Some are bred to be very sweet) and taste amazing as jam or little bursts of flavor in your yogurt or pie. Whatever.
Black currants are a bit more musty tasting. You usually make wine or mead out of it. OR, if you're lucky like was, I you got to taste them in a scone at a tea house and your world has never been the same and you pine after them like a kid pines after candy.
They're AWESOME berries, and I was growing both red and black REALLY well, but ants and wooly aphids won the day. I hate ants, I really really do. And aphids. They can all die a firey death.
The point is, these bushes are GREAT, pretty, hardy (for the most part), and taste AMAZING.
And last but not least:
BOYSENBERRIES
If you go to Mother's Market or Sprouts or Whole Foods, or whatever, you'll see in the 'dried fruit' and 'nuts' side that there's a container full of 'Black Currants'. But they're not actually black currants. They're tiny grapes.
yeah. They're feeding you raisins and mislabeling it BECAUSE THEY ASSUME YOU DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER.
And you probably don't.
Because you've never heard of black or red (or even white or pink) currants, have you?
Well they're AWESOME. Red currants are tart (Some are bred to be very sweet) and taste amazing as jam or little bursts of flavor in your yogurt or pie. Whatever.
Black currants are a bit more musty tasting. You usually make wine or mead out of it. OR, if you're lucky like was, I you got to taste them in a scone at a tea house and your world has never been the same and you pine after them like a kid pines after candy.
They're AWESOME berries, and I was growing both red and black REALLY well, but ants and wooly aphids won the day. I hate ants, I really really do. And aphids. They can all die a firey death.
The point is, these bushes are GREAT, pretty, hardy (for the most part), and taste AMAZING.
And last but not least:
BOYSENBERRIES
"I dunnnooooo....those look like overly large raspberries to me...." you say.
BUT THEY'RE NOT! They're boysenberries! Some of you may have heard of them, a lot haven't. Fun fact: Boysenberries were developed right here, 20 minutes from my house, by Mr. Knott's of Knottsberry farm (now a super fun amusement park). They're famous for the boysenberry jam.
And they should be! A fresh boysenberry has a flavor that I can't even begin to describe. Sweeter than a blackberry, jucier, and just...out of this world. If you can get your hands on a boysenberry grow this instead of blackberries, you really really won't be sorry!
So the next time you think of buying berries for your garden, think of these guys! Give them a try! I promise you won't be disappointed! And also your neighbors will be really really really jealous of all the amazing berries you're growing and using to make jams, booze, and syrup that turn your kids (and yourself) into superhuman health freaks.
I mean, what more could you want?!
BUT THEY'RE NOT! They're boysenberries! Some of you may have heard of them, a lot haven't. Fun fact: Boysenberries were developed right here, 20 minutes from my house, by Mr. Knott's of Knottsberry farm (now a super fun amusement park). They're famous for the boysenberry jam.
And they should be! A fresh boysenberry has a flavor that I can't even begin to describe. Sweeter than a blackberry, jucier, and just...out of this world. If you can get your hands on a boysenberry grow this instead of blackberries, you really really won't be sorry!
So the next time you think of buying berries for your garden, think of these guys! Give them a try! I promise you won't be disappointed! And also your neighbors will be really really really jealous of all the amazing berries you're growing and using to make jams, booze, and syrup that turn your kids (and yourself) into superhuman health freaks.
I mean, what more could you want?!
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