Where to try honeyberries in New England?

i was thinking of trying honeyberry/ black currant. :wink:

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Try what works for you. I find black currant tends to dominate unless you use very little.
For us, haskap works best with similar levels of flavour. Adding it with : black raspberry, Saskatoon, blueberry or apple gives a nice added depth of flavour and tartness.
Benedictine as a great liquor add-in for it as is St. Germaine.

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I’m just about running out of last year’s black currant jam. Just a couple little jars left.

And I never found the one jar of honeyberry I’d made last year. I broke out my 2nd to last jar of black currant, to be pleasantly surprised to see it labeled “honeyberry 2020”!

2 of the best jams one can eat. I like them pure.

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I agree pure is usually best. I usually don’t even add pectin. I will add a touch of lemon juice if acidity is lacking for whatever reason. I can’t wait to try making jam with my black and red currants. I can find store bought, but It’s usually just OK at best. The fruits that are almost too tart to eat fresh have a special place in my heart/stomach. Something alchemical about the flavor transformation when you turn them into jams or pies.

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i just made up 6 pint jars of b. currant jam from 2 gal bags of frozen b.currants id missed in my big freezer from last summer. was glad to find them as id run out of the jam about 3 weeks ago. looking forward to making haskap jam. that one must be really good also.

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The best jam from black currant in my opinion is a raw jam. It is a healthiest as well. Time ago back home we always made it using 1 part of berries and 1.5 part of sugar. and it didn’t even required refrigeration. But now days so much sugar is above my abilities to consume, so I use 1 part of berries for 0.5.-0.7 part of sugar and freeze it in small jars. Taking one in winter is like getting fresh made from the garden…

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i use the low sugar recipie with added pectin made for low sugar jams. i love the concentrated flavor with less sugar.

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@mamuang , @jcguarneri , honey berries are getting ready. Probably next weekend will be a good time to visit me to try them. PM me for address!

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I’ll be there. Nothing will ripen in my yard next week. Maybe, a bit of strawberries left.

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I picked my first bowl of strawberries today, probably 3/4 of a quart. The rabbit got 4 most productive bushes this year… So not going to have really much of them this year. Also picked Hudson cherry - all three of them (berries I mean :rofl:)

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Birds got some of my strawberries. Between birds and bunnies, I have lost quite a few fruit and flowers.

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This upcoming weekend, or the next? I’m camping this weekend unfortunately, but hopefully I can make it work.

I meant this weekend, but next is fine as well, I think there still will be some to try. I have two bushes, one has many blue ones., second just started to get color. And they can stay on the branches for some time as well.

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Can I show up on both weekends :rofl:

Just kidding. I can swing by this coming weekend. Thanks a bunch, Galina.

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You can, I have to weed every weekend - you can help :wink:

You ain’t see weeds until you see my yard. I went away for 4 days. It rained the whole time I was away. Weeds are taller than most of my pepper plants.

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Tell me about it… I was away 3 days. I got my terrace ruined by the netted frame that decided to tip over. Weeds everywhere, but rabbits killing my alpine strawberries…

you guys need to release some hungry minks down there to control the rabbit population.

Hi there:

Too bad you live so far away… I could have both of you tasting honey berries jam:

This is my honey berry row and netting which like Virodian come from Lee Valley:


Extremely difficult tp spot but center left are 2 berries going the right way!

I have also a row of red currants which are so productive, it’s almost a nightmare since like honey berries people around here do not appreciate them to their value.

Some people are so: strawberry/raspberry/blueberry the holy trinity of small fruits in this province. But 99.99% of people consider « wild » blueberries as the Holy Grail for eating fresh or in jam…
Unfortunately outstanding blueberries grow 6/8 hours driving north of my place and it’s very complicate to get them down here.
Marc

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same here Marc. its a patch of those berries and 1 apple tree and some rhubarb in most peoples yards. most people have no clue what else can grow up here. ive educated alot of my neighbors and gave them started plants. i tell them i grow cherries and they respond they dont like the wild cherries. theyre talking about chokecherry! then they argue with me that cherry doesnt grow up here. i show them my trees. then they understand. wait until i start selling my extra at the farmers market. :wink:

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