Raspberries

[esgunn]

Having the room to grow your own garden sure is satisfying, and money saving! Even if it is just a little bit. I had to buy some basil the other day at about $4.00 for 4oz - I am between my basil plants right now.

And I have been reading the grocery adds - and the Raspberries are going for $9.98 a half flat. I am picking that much every other day from my garden!

[cjs]

Good Lord!! Our whole side yard is raspberries!!

[Gourmet_Mom]

WOW! Since the garden got going, I really haven't paid that much attention to produce prices...I just make do with what's growing. I am sooo glad I planted lots of basil this year. I use it sooo much. I still can't believe I forgot to get an oregano. My poor 3 parsley don't have time to get very big, I use them sooo much...LOL! At least the butterflies haven't found it!

Raspberries, huh? We've got ONE lone blueberry bush, but not enough to really do anything with. I can't imagine having raspberries! What are you doing with all those berries? Or do the kids munch them up faster than you can turn around...LOL!

[esgunn]

Well, I picked TWO half flats of raspberries today!

Daphne, we eat them, the kids love them. They want me to make a raspberry pie. I make raspberry icecream. And most of them we freeze. Come November we make a lot of jam. What is left after jam making gets used in smoothies the rest of the year. I think I end up with between 15 and 20 gallon sized bags of frozen raspberries.

[carolekv]

I think the answer is no, but we probably cannot grow raspberries in the southeast, can we? I LOVE raspberries but I don't think I've ever seen the plants in the nursery and don't think I've ever seen them at roadside stands or pick-your-own places here...

[Gourmet_Mom]

Carole, I'm sure you're right. It must be the warm weather? Anyway, how cool to have 15 to 20 gallons!

[bjcotton]

I think it was three years ago that Fredia and I juiced raspberries, marionberries, and Santa Rosa Plums. I am still using the juice to make sorbet and granita. Getting pretty low...need to find someone to help me again this year.

[iBcookin]

Oh, Daphne, you need to get more blueberry bushes! And you need to get different varieties. When I planted mine I had ordered them through the mail and they said to plant at least three varieties. That way they ripen at different times.

I started picking mine two weeks ago and will be picking for the next month. Last year the birds beat me to most of mine, but this year I went to the fabric store and picked up yards of bridal tulle. I thought I would be nice and use up the tail ends of the bolts. So my blueberries are covered with bright pink, lavender, green and yellow tulle, just blowing in the breeze. I haven't seen a single bird down there - I think they are scared to death!!!

Billy, what's a marionberry?

[cjs]

Marionberries are a Northwest version of a blackberry - wonderful flavor.

I use our raspberries about the same way Erin does - but I don't put up as many with just the two of us. The neighbors help us out picking and enjoying!

[Gourmet_Mom]

Thanks for the tip on the tulle. I think something has been at our little bush as well. It was an accident we got it. YS was doing a yard job at a man's house and he was going to get rid of several. YS had loaded one, when a friend came along and told him not to get rid of the rest. I didn't even no we had it until I saw it blooming next to the pump house this spring. I will be adding some more.