What is everyone eating from their orchard today?

I was wondering if anyone was going to start this thread.

I can tell you what I’m not eating. The 3 plums that were ripening on a small tree that was supposedly a “fruit cocktail” tree that was a birthday present a few years back. The entire tree was actually the section labeled “apricot”, but the blossoms and small fruits that it would drop were obviously plums of some kind. Whatever kind of plums they were went through a translucent yellow stage before beginning to turn dark purpley red. I was looking forward to finally getting a sample this year and was patiently giving them time to fully tree ripen. When I went to check them this morning they were gone. Vanished. No plums or stones on the ground. Dang! I knew I was running the risk of having them bird pecked, but I didn’t expect the disappearing act. Is this something a racoon might have done? Squirrels? But I don’t think a squirrel would have taken all 3, even if it’s something that appealed to them.

What I did have were blueberries and strawberries and most of blackberry from a Prime Ark Freedom. It was the first berry set when the plant was still quite young, had turned completely black, but was still glossy. I was going to give it a couple of more days to mature before picking, but a bird had taken a sample sometime between this morning and early afternoon. Since I didn’t want him coming back to complete the job, I finished it off. It will be awhile before I have the actual small first crop to fully sample. They better be better than this one, which had not reached its peak flavor. It still contained too much sour without being offset by enough sweetness for me to appreciate.

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Steve,

Smokin hot pics of some cherries you got there. I salute your good taste!

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I leave my cherries on the tree 1-2 weeks after they fully color up. This yr my Bings are still too acid well after turning fully dark. I think that’s related to the water deficit under which they are being grown. Water deficit equals higher sugar but isn’t really needed for sweet cherries in my greenhouse.

I do have abundant sympathy for the difficulties of growing ripe sweet cherries outdoors. I spend many yrs and almost one thousand bucks trying to grow them outdoors. Finnally cut the trees down after losses to birds, coon, freezes, etc, etc!! I never harvested 5 lbs total off 20 trees.

Even in the greenhouse I haven’t figured out how to get good yield but have figured out what a really good sweet cherry looks and tastes like.

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My backyard strawberries and raspberries are almost ready…

Until I saw the word “freezer”, I was thinking you got a green house…

My honeyberries are blue, but still quite tart. I’ve heard that you leave them for a few weeks they get sweeter and/or get eaten by birds.

The first few strawberries are about a day from ripeness (mostly red now).

Hi Alan. After seeing some of your previous post about freezing fruit I attempted do so with pears last season. I washed and sliced for freezing. To my surprise the Grand’s and I enjoyed eating these in a semi-frozen state. I was just wondering how you prepare/freeze your fruit? Thanks, Bill

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Too early for me, but I did swallow a caterpillar which are horrible this year.

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put a little cumin on it chef

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Picked some strawberries yesterday, birds got a bunch of them though. I knew I should picked them in the AM!

Blackcaps and blueberries should be next. About a dozen breba figs hanging around too, maybe another month on those?

Hot humid air finally returned here last night, and everything is popping. I can finally report that I’ve eaten my first home-grown fruit of the year, a ripe red strawberry. Four of them got red overnight. Gave three of them to my son to celebrate his 3rd birthday, which is next week. Yay!

I have an heirloom rose from my late Grandfather which only gets partial sun. It finally bloomed this week next to the japanese honeysuckle. The blend of aromas is intoxicating and brings back so many comforting memories. Here’s a pic of my Grandad’s rose:

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Johnthecook,

Didn’t you spit it out? Or just went through the “motion”… and regretted?

yuck!

So far here its just strawberries and a few not yet ripe White Gold cherries.

@fruitnut, please let us know which cherries you liked the most. I have a few new ones that are going to fruit this year.

My Honeyberries are just turning light blue and Strawberries are light pink. Gooseberry are looking good.

Tony

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We are finishing up:

Eva’s Pride peach (Which makes me very sad). On average 15 brix at pit and about 18 on the outside. This was it’s best year so far (4th year in ground).

Methley Plum:
Have not tested yet as there was not many, it being it’s 2 year in ground and I just seem to pop them straight in my mouth instead of bringing them inside. I am not impressed by this one, very mild flavor…kinda blah.

Cot-N-Candy Aprium (Which makes Tim very sad) Most tested at about 22 brix (4th year in ground).

Finished:
Desert Gold peach (5th year) Not much fruit this year and had some rot
Tomcot (2nd year) About 40 fruit which Tim devoured.
Artic Star (2nd year) About 10 fruit was pretty good for a white nectarine :wink: (Fruitnut)
Desert Delight Nectarine (2nd year) About 15 fruit not bad …will hope for better next year.
May Pride Peach (2nd year) About 40 fruit. Brix was about 15.

Still munching on blueberries and getting a few Baba raspberries as well. I really like the Pink Lemonade blueberry. Anybody else have it and like it?

Jennifer

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Those looks amazing! Can they be grown in my locale (Southern California - Inland zone 9b)? Last 2 years have been about 100 chill hours.

Jennifer,
I like Pink Lemonade also,kind of sweet and tangy. Brady


This is a photo from last year

Pink Lemonade today

Also Misty Blueberry first one starting to ripen

Strawberries

and Honeyberries

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Steve that’s what I do too. Nothing worse than waiting one day to many! I wish I could wait longer. Still yet to eat my blueberries. The birds always get them first, but not this year I’m netting them!

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It was down to quick for me to spit so I went the other way. Protein!

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Illinois Everbearing mulberries - with minimal contribution from Kokuso, Wellington, Lawson Dawson, and M.alba seedlings.
Strawberries.

Gooseberries will be coming on before long.
Saw a single mayhaw fruitlet on the half-dozen mayhaw bushes.

After that…there’s not gonna be much for the rest of the year; Sparse spotty bloom on apples, don’t think there’s a single pear set on 30+ varieties.
American persimmons may do OK, but that’s months away.

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Bradybb, Very nice picture . How do you protect your strawberries, honeyberries, BB from birds, chipmunks, and other creatures?