Fruit In Our 2012 Garden Plan - Part Three

Elderberries!

In my plans for our garden, I do not forget the wild fruit plants that adorn our forest and around our homestead.  Some are used for medicinal purposes, but are a food source as well. My mother always told me that her favorite pie was elderberry. I never remembered having it until we moved out here. It grows abundantly here in New York state. I do not have to do anything with it except try to guard a bush or two from the birds, so it can ripen. They eat them before it has ripened, so they get it all while I am waiting for it to ripen.

Wild Blackberries

Blackberries is another berry that grows wild around here. In fact, they will take over your yard and pasture if not controlled. Don't have to worry about them either. We have more than enough for the bees, birds and us, to eat all we want. They are everywhere. 

Wild Cherries

Wild cherries grow all over around here. There are more than a few varieties. Chokecherries seem to be popular and used for jams, jellies and wine. I haven't tried them yet myself, but have them on the top of my list for this year. 

Grape Vine

Wild grapes, or better known as Fox Grapes, grow through out our state forest. Now this is another fruit I have so much trouble harvesting, due to the birds and the bees. The bees are all over this all summer. Kind of hard for me to get near it, let alone harvest it. When we first moved here, I was able to can a lot of grape juice, jam and jelly from this plant. Since that time though, more birds and bees come to our little homestead now. 

Apple Tree

When we first moved here, our property must had over 30 wild apple trees. They were the old heirloom types, planted long ago. Now we only have a few left on our property, but new ones have sprung up. This year apples were plentiful.

A Hawthorne Tree

Hawthorne berries grow all over our area also. They are the ingredient in some of the newest heart medicines. So they are a very healthy snack. Just pick a handful when you are outside in the forest. 

Wild Strawberries

Wild strawberries grow all over too. I plant some of my own because they are bigger. But these little berries are the jewels of the forest. So good! But you'd have to spend quite a few hours picking to fill your bucket.

These are just a few of the wild fruits of the forest and fields around us. I plan to add more fruits every year. None of these were planted by me, so they were free for taking when we moved here. I will be writing about the new fruits I plan to add to our homestead this year. 

Copyright © 2012 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2012  Kathleen G. Lupole

Apples And Grapes Grow Wild In The Forest

 Maple, Hawthorn, Cherry & Apple Trees

Apple growing is pretty common here in New York state. Our weather is just right for it, and our state is known for both, our apples and grapes. Both crops need the type of climate we have. In fact, the grapes are usually better tasting if we get a frost before they are harvested.

Wild Fox Grape Vine

Both fruits, apples and grapes grow wild around us in the state forest as well as on private properties. Not to mention the many varieties of berries and nuts. The birds feast on the berries and fruits before they are ripe. The deer get all the low apples and the ones that fall to the ground. Squirrels and chipmunks stow the nuts and probably some of the fruits, as well, away for their winter meals.

Apples on new trees!

So for me to be able to harvest any of them after they are ripe is amazing with all that competition. This year I am going to do my best to get a decent harvest from the apple trees and the berry bushes. I want to can those for our winter fruit supply. I love looking around and seeing all this food growing. All I have to do is harvest it. Then can or dry it. Having those jars of food on my shelves gives me a feeling of security. Not to mention the feeling of pride when I grow it or harvest it from the forest.

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole

Find Foods In The Forest Garden

 That's a lot of trash!

This morning we had to take our trash to the local landfill. It is only about five miles from our house. We have been doing a lot of cleaning up and had quite a load. Lots of metal and steel too. Cans and plastic containers. It is amazing how much you accumulate. We had our cans and plastic containers in the cellar due to snow so the last time we went I could not get to it as we still had snow in the way. This time we had a huge trash bag full of cans. Mostly cat and dog food cans. I wish I could feed my cats the cat food that comes in the pouches but I haven't seen any that is ground that comes like that. They will not eat pieces or shreds. Not my fussy fussy little girls! Since they are only open till noon on Mondays we always try to get there early. We were first! So we were in and out very quickly.

 The road from our house this morning!

On the way home I saw a lot of the Ostrich Ferns growing along Truck Trail, the road that goes to our house. I stopped to get some pictures.They are called "Fiddleheads" and is one of the edible wild plants you can eat in the spring.

 Ostrich Ferns

Fiddleheads are very popular with people who enjoy foraging for wild edible foods. They are one of the first to appear and seems to me about the first week of May is when they always appear here in New York state. I am not sure about other locations though.

Fiddleheads

Other countries have been consuming them for centuries. You steam or boil them and then eat them hot, like you would asparagus. They are comparable to asparagus. You need to remove the yellow brown skin, boil twice changing the water in between. Removing the water removes the bitterness, toxins and tannins. So just be sure to cook them thoroughly before eating. Most recipes I have seen have them being served with hollandaise sauce, butter or any kind of sauces you like. Cheese sauce would be good on them too. Here is a good site for recipes for the Fiddleheads you pick, Wild Harvest.

 See how the fern leaves are curled into the head.

Have fun gathering wild edible foods but be sure you use a guide book for safety reasons. There are some wild plants out there that are NOT safe to consume and some of them will kill you pretty fast. So be careful and use a book. Peterson Field Guides are good. Check out their Edible Wild Plants, which is the one I have and use.

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole