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Post by Blueflint on Feb 18, 2009 8:18:50 GMT -5
Anyone here ever grow Garden Huckleberries? What is your experience? Production per plant? I have read they prefer part shade growing conditions, is this true? Any insight would be appreciated.
Blueflint
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Post by iva on Feb 18, 2009 8:44:33 GMT -5
Can I add a question about them too? Is there a difference between a Garden Huckleberries and Ciciquilette (I probably didn't spell it right)?
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Post by canadamike on Feb 18, 2009 10:19:21 GMT -5
There is a thread here that touches them indirectly.
It has been nothing but a horrible taste experience for me. My buddies at Tomodori think the same, all but one. He said he had had a couple of good ones. I grew them all, burbakii, negrum chichiquelite miltomato etc... and in large quantities. Fantastic harvest of disgusting stuff.
Nobody could eat them. I even cooked a blueberry/solanum pie for a party. It was half taken....all the portions ended up on the sink counter...one bite taken only.....
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Post by utopiate on Feb 18, 2009 10:48:39 GMT -5
What a resounding recommendation! I had ordered a number of the seeds recently to try a variety of them like you did Mike. Sounds like a waste. Ottawa gardner did like her wonderberry though. I've read other reports that wonderberry can be better, but I guess not in your estimation. Of course, it might just be your cooking and pie methods.  |
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Post by ottawagardener on Feb 18, 2009 11:09:03 GMT -5
Specifically my sunberry from Mapple Farms. I did not care much for the blander version at another seed supplier. It could be that I just have something different or different growing conditions???
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Post by iva on Feb 18, 2009 13:29:21 GMT -5
Oh, I guess that it isn't worth growing then... I got the seeds for chichiquelite and didn't quite know what to do with them, so I didn't sow them last year, but was thinking of doing it this year. Now I just don't know... Otawagardener, do sunberries really taste good? Are they at all sweet? I just can't seem to see the difference between all these species of berries, I'm almost as confused as with all the Physalis species available... I did find a link that could be helpful though: www.liseed.org/solanacea.html |
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Post by atimberline on Feb 18, 2009 13:49:14 GMT -5
There is a thread here that touches them indirectly. It has been nothing but a horrible taste experience for me. My buddies at Tomodori think the same, all but one. He said he had had a couple of good ones. I grew them all, burbakii, negrum chichiquelite miltomato etc... and in large quantities. Fantastic harvest of disgusting stuff. Nobody could eat them. I even cooked a blueberry/solanum pie for a party. It was half taken....all the portions ended up on the sink counter...one bite taken only..... Ok Michel ! you are a good laugh !... send me the seed of all those selections you mention, if they have one trait that is useful I will use it to improve matters. ...Perhaps you just don't know how to cook the things? ...I guess you never found and tried my FRUITY variety.... I am trying to find seed of it, no luck so far... wanted to do some further improvement work... just to get you to taste another ! Tim Peters |
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Post by canadamike on Feb 18, 2009 14:11:13 GMT -5
Iwould like to point out that my cooking abilities are kind of well known. I barely see a month where I am not told I should be a chef, open a restaurant etc... I find it vastly exagerated mind you...I think a lot of it is due to the fact that I am a man... Let's forget the ''chef'' bit, I am a very good cook. And my son and all his friends would concur...( he sometimes would call from school to ask who is cooking supper  if it was me then the table would have to be made a big bigger for the friends) I do not doubt there can be a good one somewhere, there is soooo much variability in these. Tim, the seeds ended up in the garbage can, I would never give away such nuisance, even if somebody asked for it. They came from SSE and Baker Creek.... |
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Post by paquebot on Feb 18, 2009 14:12:46 GMT -5
I have friends who have planted an entire 450 square feet plot to chichiquelite the past two years. If it weren't under a foot of hard snow, I could probably find a billion seeds right now since most of the fruit is not harvested. The gardeners are from the Cameroon and only the leaves are harvested. Once the plants are growing good, collecting a shopping bag of leaves is a daily event. Some plants are allowed to bear fruit but for the sole purpose of providing seed for the next season.
Martin
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Post by orflo on Feb 18, 2009 14:23:02 GMT -5
I have tried quite a bit of all this stuff, and the only ones that are really good are miltomato vallisto (which certainly isn't a true miltomato, but I have to figure out what it really is), and susse schwarzbeere (solanum nigrum spp. schultesii). These two have a sweet, spicy taste which is at is best eaten raw. When cooked they loose lots of flavour. I have tried some unripe berries, without any harm (remember, these are solanaceae, so always take care when eating them, certainly unripe), but the taste experience of these unripe berries was quite  , so once you tried that, you won't try it again... Do give a go at miltomato vallisto, like all small berried solanaceae it's amazingly productive... |
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Post by atimberline on Feb 18, 2009 15:26:28 GMT -5
Anyone here ever grow Garden Huckleberries? What is your experience? Production per plant? I have read they prefer part shade growing conditions, is this true? Any insight would be appreciated. Blueflint I used to do some breeding of them. The best ones I found for eating were Mrs. Bees, and one I developed, Fruity. ...the rest are ok if cooked and processed right. They are quite productive... a quart of fruit per plant easy. They are best eating quality if grown in full sun. Try them... you will either like them or join the ranks of Michel and party guests. Tim Peters |
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Post by iva on Feb 18, 2009 15:32:39 GMT -5
Tim, are the seeds for Mrs. Bees and Fruity available for purchase? I would really like to try them, as I don't want to give up on these berries so easily without even giving them a chance...
But can they really be eaten raw?
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Post by atimberline on Feb 18, 2009 15:54:31 GMT -5
Tim, are the seeds for Mrs. Bees and Fruity available for purchase? I would really like to try them, as I don't want to give up on these berries so easily without even giving them a chance... But can they really be eaten raw? if ripe, ...I have a rule for this family, if they taste nasty- spit them out. ...I have never been seriously poisoned, not even by deadly nightshade which is another group altogether, and one of the nastiest tasting things I have ever stuck in my mouth...(you can even get a sense of the taste when it gets near your nose). Email me your address. atimberline@yahoo.com ...I will get you on the list for seed |
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Post by ottawagardener on Feb 18, 2009 17:05:58 GMT -5
Honestly, mine taste good raw or my kids wouldn't be all over them with me constantly reminding them 'eat the ripe ones, the ripe ones!' They taste fruity, sweet, not at all bitter, and a bit like a cross between some sort of fruit and slightly like a cherry tomato but only slightly.
Assuming they reseed themselves and they are quite good at that, then I'll save more seed next year and send it out to all so you can try this variety for yourself and tell me if I am crazy or not.
Tim, I think I have heard of fruity when I was searching for sunberry but I have yet to try the variety.
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Post by marjeta on Feb 19, 2009 7:37:35 GMT -5
Interesting. I got some Garden huckleberry and some Chichiquilite ones form a nice lady from USA and she said they taste nice but are better in preserves, jams etc. I've already started the Chichiquilite seeds, some sprouted... I really can't wait to try the berries and see!
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, so once you tried that, you won't try it again...