Just about everything that can be said of fruit trees applies to berries and vines as well, with one exception: these plants are reluctant to grow in containers and won’t enjoy life indoors.
Just about everything that can be said of fruit trees applies to berries and vines as well, with one exception: these plants are reluctant to grow in containers and won’t enjoy life indoors.
Berries tend to be low-maintenance, requiring only a trellis, once-a-year pruning, and occasional fertilizer. Most berries are planted in bare-root form (you buy a clump of live roots attached to a cane, not a growing plant) in winter or early spring.
Do check with local experts to find the varieties that grow best in your climate, and ask if you need a nearby pollinizer. Get pruning advice specific to the variety you’ve chosen: some raspberries, for instance, bear fruit twice a year and only on two year-old canes, which means that you have to cut back the old canes after they’ve fruited, but let the younger canes grow unmolested for two years before they bear fruit.
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Blackberry Rubus spp. |
Do yourself a favor and choose a thornless variety. Extend the growing season by selecting several cultivars with different blooming periods; for instance, Arapaho starts in mid-June, and Black Diamond bears in August. Loganberry, marionberry, boysenberry, and tayberry crosses (generally blackberry-raspberry hybrids) are well worth growing. |
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Blueberry Vaccinium spp. |
Because blueberries prefer acid, moist soil, growing them in a container might be the best way to give them the conditions they need. Top Hat and Chippewa are compact varieties for pots. Some varieties tolerate winter temperatures to –20 degrees Fahrenheit. |
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Currant Ribes nigrum |
The black currant, used to make cassis, is still banned in some states even though new disease-resistant cultivars do not spread the dreaded white pine blister rust. Ben Lomond is a vigorous Scottish variety. Red and white currants have a bright, light flavor and make beautiful garnishes in drinks. (See p. 263.) |
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Hops Humulus lupulus |
Hops require specific day lengths to bloom, so do best in latitudes of 35 to 55 degrees north and south. The golden hop vine Aureus, with its yellow to lime green foliage, is a widely sold ornamental, as is Bianca, a variety with light green foliage that matures to a darker green. (See p. 210.) |
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Raspberry Rubus idaeus |
Look for everbearing varieties that fruit over a long season. Pruning is simpler because all canes are cut down each winter. Try Caroline or Polka Red. |
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Sloe Prunus spinosa |
Also called blackthorn, this large, thorny shrub is hardy to –30F. Bears the fruit used to make sloe gin—if the birds don’t get them first. (See p. 281.) |
Nothing could be simpler than infusing herbs, spices, and fruit in vodka to make your own flavored spirit for cocktails. There’s just one catch: some plants, particularly tender green herbs like basil or cilantro, produce bitter, strange flavors if they’ve been soaking for long. To get around this, make a small batch as a test, and taste it frequently, starting just a few hours after the infusion has begun. For herbs, 8 to 12 hours may be sufficient. For fruit, 1 week may be long enough. Citrus rinds and spices can soak for a month. The trick is that as soon as it tastes wonderful, strain it. Time will not necessarily improve an infusion.
The instructions are simply this:
Fill a clean jar with herbs, spices, or fruit. Pour in an affordable but not rock-bottom vodka, like Smirnoff. Seal tightly and store in a cool, dark place. Sample regularly until you decide it’s perfect. Strain it and use it within a few months.
Consider this recipe to be a template for other sweet infusions. Coffee beans, cocoa nibs, or almost any kind of citrus could take the place of lemon to make another sweet, after-dinner liqueur.
12 fresh lemons (see note)
1 750 ml bottle vodka
3 cups sugar
3 cups water
Peel the lemons, being careful to get only the yellow rind. (If you don’t have another use for the fruit, squeeze the juice and freeze in ice cube trays for use in cocktails.) Place the lemon rinds and vodka in a large glass pitcher or jar. Cover and let sit for 1 week.
After 1 week, heat the sugar and water, let it cool, and add it to the vodka and lemon mixture. Let it sit for 24 hours, and then strain. Refrigerate overnight before drinking.
Note: Avoid chemicals and synthetic waxes by choosing organic or unsprayed, homegrown citrus.
