Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

[Copperhead road]

Throw the plums in a fermenter and just cover with water, will give you a bit of time up your sleeve.

[cranky]

Throw the plums in a fermenter and just cover with water, will give you a bit of time up your sleeve.

I think my plan today is to pit the plums, mash them up, add some yeast and let them go. I would really like a couple more buckets to do a full on plum brandy but they could add nicely to a mixed fruit or something. I think I still have a quart or two of plum juice in the freezer waiting to use in a brandy.

These plums are nice and sweet too hitting 20 brix ( 1.083 S>G or 11.5% potential alcohol) So they would work well for a slivovitz or wine outright and you never know. The other guy who has the plum tree I usually pick said he might pick and bring me some just to keep the fruit flies down so I may actually get more in the next week or so.

[cranky]

Today I sorted pears again. I'm up to 3.5 gallons of pear mush and MRS Cranky is down to 1.5 buckets. She really needs to get a move on if she wants to do anything with them.

Last night we sorted and processed plums for booze, pitting and mashing them up but we saved around 100 for MRS Cranky to turn into prunes. We don't have a dehydrator so she had to do them in the oven. That was a bit of a long drawn out process but they are quite tasty and very sweet and should make a good snack.

I now have 5 gallons of prune mush fermenting in 2 separate buckets. Since my carboys are all full I have now resorted to fermenting in buckets and I think I only have one left so if someone else brings me any fruit I may run out of places to put it.

[cranky]

My wife is pissed off at me as usual for this time of year

Today after work I found this in the back of my truck

I did know I was going to get some but didn't know how many. There was a bucket of pears, that I gave MRS Cranky and 2 buckets of gigantic green apples with stripes the size of soft balls. I had already removed the tray from the chopper and moved it and the press off to where they are out of the way but ran an extension cord to the chopper and just dumped them out of the bucket into it, then pressed. I love that chopper, it really makes short work of apples but MRS Cranky heard it and realized I was hiding my activities from her She actually reminded me of this little quote from back in July when I officially announced the end of my apple season to which SCD said

Liar...

Now in my defense I have not picked a single apple since then...at least I don't think I have, maybe a dozen or so at the blueberry park but not really enough to count for anything. The apples that have been processed since that time have been given to me and I was just doing the people a favor by taking them and not wanting them to go to waste.

Fortunately the press can now make short work of apples as well and I quickly pressed another 3.5 gallons form those 2 buckets of apples. That brings my annual total up to 72.5 which in truth is just a bit of a disappointment because that is essentially the same as my previous record. I kind of feel if I'm going to do that much I really want to set a new record, something like 75 or 80 gallons but it is what it is I suppose. I'm happy because it really wasn't very much work to get there, my system is now fast enough that I don't feel the need to improve it.

We also have gotten most everything else we wanted to done. we have just about finished painting the house, the porch has only a little more to go and should be finished within the next week or two, the living room and dining room are done and the kitchen is on track to be finished before the end of Oct. I may even get the garage cleaned out in time for MRS Cranky's birthday. I'm considering putting the Buicedes in there over the winter and buying her a mig welder for her birthday so she can start replacing the floorboards I know I know...I'm such a romantic

[Shine0n]

My god I love this thread!
I pray you're around for a looong time Mr. Cranky.

If you get all the household stuff finished...next year will be the record setting year for you. Now you just need to get more fermenters or a few larger ones.

[cranky]

If you get all the household stuff finished...next year will be the record setting year for you. Now you just need to get more fermenters or a few larger ones.

I do have some bigger fermenters. I have 2 10 gallon a 30 gallon and a 55 gallon but I almost lost 10 gallons of apple one year and that makes me reluctant to use them. I might be more willing to use them if I were better organized and had more free time to run in the event of an issue so if I can get everything in order that is a possibility.

[cranky]

Today was all about fruit...mostly baking it.

We made 4 pear pies, a pear cake and a plum cake. The pictures really don't do them justice but lighting is becoming a problem now that the rainy season has set in.

The pies were done just like apple pie only using pears instead of apples. They are very good

I sorted the buckets while peeling and prepping pears for food and added the scraps and over ripe ones to the ferment bucket. There is still half a bucket of under ripe ones but they will be ripe soon enough.

[distiller_dresden]

I am at this moment more jealous than at any before Cranky. I wish I would try that pear pie, pear cake, and plum cake.

[cranky]

I had planned on sending some brandy out to the East coast get together that happened this weekend but life got in the way...that and I don't think it's ready for prime time. I'm thinking about doing a lot of things with it including redistilling it. I don't know, one day I like it then the next I don't, maybe it just needs to settle after tempering or maybe some heavier oak will do. I have really struggled on this batch I think mainly because of the batch I ran through the flute. This year's batch will go in the barrel by itself and see how that goes. I know a lot of people are waiting for a sample but it needs to be a sample I'm happy with. So my attitude is the same as the One Hour Hot Dog slogan "People will wait for something good"

I do have some good and exciting news.

On my way home from work today I noticed a tree in a parking lot with little red balls on it

I actually noticed many bushes around with these red balls last year but never managed to get any. They look like large Madrone berries. So I stopped and picked a dozen to take home and see if I could figure out what they are. After researching a bit I found that it is (probably) Arbutrus Unido, which is commonly called a Strwberry Tree. It is a relative of the Pacific Madrone put produces much larger fruit.

These fruit are quite tasty, citrussy and sweet and easy to pick. They are a very interesting flavor unlike anything I've had before, they are soft, pulpy and full of tiny seeds that make them difficult to eat but are quite tasty. The fruit of the strawberry tree is often used for jelly, wine and brandy, which made me curious about the sugar content since they are sweet, so I checked it.

I was actually shocked to find it a solid 26 Brix According to the Brewers friend Brix calculator that's right at 16% potential alcohol (1.1103 s.g.). MRS Cranky wants me to stop every morning on my way to work and pick the ripe ones so she can make jelly with them but I'm thinking between this tree and some others I saw last year I may be able to get a bucket full to add to this years mixed fruit. It would be real nice to get enough to do a proper brandy but that would require a lot more picking time than I have.

[Copperhead road]

I have seen them prickly balls around before but did not realise they are an edible berry, good luck cranky.

[cuginosgrizzo]

Yes Arbutus unedo, we call it "corbezzolo". They are very common in the mediterranean. Usually people make jelly with them. They can be fermented and distilled. There are a in Italy a couple of industrial brandies made with corbezzoli, but I never tasted them.

[cranky]

I have seen them prickly balls around before but did not realise they are an edible berry, good luck cranky.

I have a tenancy to look at the sides of roads wherever I drive and notice things like little colored balls hanging from trees and bushes. I can often spot fruit trees even when they have no fruit on them. If there is a fruit that looks edible I try to take pictures and samples and look them up. Sometimes it takes a lot of research to make sure you have it right but it often pays off. These strawberry trees (bushes really) are actually all over the place, even in the median of the main road for several miles, but my wife says " You are NOT picking fruit in the median of a 6 lane highway!!!"

For the record I had no intention of doing that due to the pollution factor with those berries, I was just pointing them out to her

When I was looking them up one of the websites said they "consider the uncooked fruit an acquired taste well worth cultivating." I don't think that is true, the one I ate was soft and squishy and pulpy and was actually quite good but nothing like a strawberry. They call them strawberry trees because the fruit has a vague resemblance to strawberries. I will note I didn't eat the peel which I read is high in tannins but the only problem I see with them is they have lots of tiny, hard seeds that were not pleasant. I think this would be a very good fruit for distilling and am certain it will make a very good jelly.

[distiller_dresden]

Cranky, you sure those aren't lychee fruit?? Those look an weful ton like lychee in the 'nut' and inside it is white and fleshy and has a sweet, perfumey taste - delicious in other words.

[cranky]

Cranky, you sure those aren't lychee fruit?? Those look an weful ton like lychee in the 'nut' and inside it is white and fleshy and has a sweet, perfumey taste - delicious in other words.

They do look very similar but there are some key differences
To begin with the leaves of the strawberry tree are jagged and not on the lychee

The seeds of the lychee are large and the strawberry tree fruit they are tiny

The flesh of the lychee is white and comes away from the skin, the flesh of the strawberry tree fruit is orange/yellow with the consistency of a very ripe nectarine and the skin is edible and in spite of reports doesn't taste tannic to me.

I would have been more than happy to find a lychee tree but this is definitely not one.

[Shine0n]

Time to break out the old little pot still and make a treat!!!

[cranky]

Time to break out the old little pot still and make a treat!!!

I'm thinking the same thing! I'm considering how hard it will be to get 3 gallons of juice, which is the minimum for my little pot. I think there is probably at least that much fruit on this one tree. 3 gallons of juice at 16% should be enough for at least 2 bottles of finished brandy so it's well worth resurrecting the little pot for these.

[Shine0n]

If you are still interested in the persimmon seeds let me know, I'll send as many or little as you want.

[Oldvine Zin]

lots of those strawberry trees planted around seattle center going to waste. and yes i've thought about doing a harvest on them

OVZ

[Copperhead road]

I have seen them prickly balls around before but did not realise they are an edible berry, good luck cranky.

I have a tenancy to look at the sides of roads wherever I drive and notice things like little colored balls hanging from trees and bushes. I can often spot fruit trees even when they have no fruit on them. If there is a fruit that looks edible I try to take pictures and samples and look them up. Sometimes it takes a lot of research to make sure you have it right but it often pays off. These strawberry trees (bushes really) are actually all over the place, even in the median of the main road for several miles, but my wife says " You are NOT picking fruit in the median of a 6 lane highway!!!"

For the record I had no intention of doing that due to the pollution factor with those berries, I was just pointing them out to her

I have had my “Cranky glasses” on lately and found this tree at a local park, I did some research and they are Brazilian Cherry yeah you can eat them, pretty intense flavour, sour not sweet.

Have you made anything from these Cranky

[Copperhead road]

Cranky, you sure those aren't lychee fruit?? Those look an weful ton like lychee in the 'nut' and inside it is white and fleshy and has a sweet, perfumey taste - delicious in other words.

51E-xMcEFjL.jpg

They are so sweet, I reckon they would have a high brix

They are super expensive to buy in Australia however, would be a high dollar brandy that’s for sure

[cranky]

If you are still interested in the persimmon seeds let me know, I'll send as many or little as you want.

PM sent. Thank you, I really want to grow some persimmons That might be the one thing I miss about Oklahoma.

lots of those strawberry trees planted around seattle center going to waste. and yes i've thought about doing a harvest on them

OVZ

You should pick those, I hate seeing fruit go to waste.

I have had my “Cranky glasses” on lately and found this tree at a local park, I did some research and they are Brazilian Cherry yeah you can eat them, pretty intense flavour, sour not sweet.

Have you made anything from these Cranky

I haven't come across those yet but Wiki tells me they actually produce 2 crops a year, one in spring and the other in the fall.

[cranky]

Today Mrs Cranky and I were out and about and happened to be near the parking lot of a restaurant that is surrounded by strawberry tree bushes. I say bushes because they are pruned as bushes rather than trees. Anyway we were a block or so away so I made a little detour to show her what they looked like. She is now making plans for my next day off for us to go by there when they are closed and pick as many as are ripe. It will be easy picking since they are only about 6 ft tall and very bushy with lots of fruit. They are just starting to ripen so we may wind up going back several times before the season is over. She wants them for jelly but maybe we can get enough to to make that Arbutus brandy

[distiller_dresden]

Cranky, you sure those aren't lychee fruit?? Those look an weful ton like lychee in the 'nut' and inside it is white and fleshy and has a sweet, perfumey taste - delicious in other words.

51E-xMcEFjL.jpg

They are so sweet, I reckon they would have a high brix

They are super expensive to buy in Australia however, would be a high dollar brandy that’s for sure

I made a lychee papaya pear brandy that really became lychee papaya because the pear was a sugar puncher, used all 100% juices and concentrates (well, pear concentrate, the rest was juices). It was popular at the gathering, my fruit brandies have gotten great reviews from everyone trying them, though I did back-sweeten a tad much and not account for sugar the fresh fruit macerations would add. But tons of the lychee perfume flavor and melded wonderfully with the kind of cloying sweetness of papaya for a nice tropical dram.

[cranky]

I thought I would show you guys how the 2 year old KD graft is coming along. I don't think I've posted a picture of them since July.
Today they look like this

Since there are so few apples on the tree has been giving them it's all and they are actually quite large for what they are. I expect them to be ready to pick in about 2 to 3 more weeks, maybe 4. Since the one I checked a full month ago was at 14 brix I expect these will be considerably higher by now and higher still when they are finally ready to drop.

Speaking of KDs, it looks like I still have at least 10 starts still alive and with leaves that were from the cuttings back in July. I'm still not ready to commit to calling them a success and I would certainly like to see more with leaves but 2 months and they are still alive is quite an accomplishment in my book.

[distiller_dresden]

Hey Cranky at one point you were talking of sending out tree cuttings since you had so many - I don't know what that looks like, but I'd be a proud poppa of one of those and I have a hell of a green thumb, when it comes to it. Plus, it's not Japanese Maple so you know the tree is safe hehe. I would hope to nurse one to the point where it was eventually strong enough to go in the ground in my backyard, Indiana is good soil for apples, or some anyhow, I was born on a McIntosh apple and concord grape farm (and several horses that one of which was a dirty bastard who was great at jailbreaking, then getting sick as hell when he'd mosey to the McIntosh trees every single season around ripe time - 'Skeeter', who also once ran through barbed wire because he didn't want to be in the pasture)

[cranky]

Hey Cranky at one point you were talking of sending out tree cuttings since you had so many - I don't know what that looks like, but I'd be a proud poppa of one of those and I have a hell of a green thumb, when it comes to it. Plus, it's not Japanese Maple so you know the tree is safe hehe. I would hope to nurse one to the point where it was eventually strong enough to go in the ground in my backyard, Indiana is good soil for apples, or some anyhow, I was born on a McIntosh apple and concord grape farm (and several horses that one of which was a dirty bastard who was great at jailbreaking, then getting sick as hell when he'd mosey to the McIntosh trees every single season around ripe time - 'Skeeter', who also once ran through barbed wire because he didn't want to be in the pasture)

Today I went out and counted the starts that still have leaves. There are currently 13. I'm hopeful that others will still make it and will start growing leaves in the spring. 13 is still enough I can send a few out but we will have to see if I can get them through the winter.

[cranky]

Yesterday I stopped after work and picked a quart or so of Arbutus fruit. It's not much but it's a start towards a brandy if I can keep Mrs Cranky away from them. It was raining when I went to work and I had cooked up a bunch of brisket and food to take to work so I couldn't take the truck to work. If I have the truck I can park under the tree and pick from the back of the truck and could have gotten more but I couldn't do that with the escape so I could only pick what I could reach from the ground. The tree still has tons of unripe fruit so there will be other days to pick. I'm also planning on taking Mrs Cranky out to breakfast tomorrow and making her pick fruit before she gets breakfast

[The Baker]

Cranky,

Through contacts (we don't usually get to mix in those circles) we visited a (very) rich man in Japan just when winter was coming.
He had a CREW in his garden wrapping the bare limbs of the trees in straw, against the cold of winter.

Geoff

[cranky]

Cranky,

Through contacts (we don't usually get to mix in those circles) we visited a (very) rich man in Japan just when winter was coming.
He had a CREW in his garden wrapping the bare limbs of the trees in straw, against the cold of winter.

Geoff

My wife and I have been talking about covering the little trees in straw for the winter, we are also considering making a makeshift green house. I'm thinking the ones that currently have leaves will go in the green house over the winter and the rest will get covered in straw.

[cranky]

I just realized I have been a member here for 5 years as of last week. I was a lurker for a while before that and it's really all thanks to my love of fruity goodness Sometime around 6 years ago I was making wine, I still do, nice sweet dessert wine. I got very good at it too then after spending an entire summer picking blackberries one of the 3 batches of blackberry wine I was making stalled out and I couldn't get it restarted. I also couldn't bring myself to dump all that hard work out. So I started thinking about distilling. After much reading and some simple fabrication I managed to make a small stove top still that turned that blackberry wine into a pretty nice brandy (ish). That was the beginning of it all and evolved into my current obsession with fruity goodness.

My wife says I have an obsession with apples, Probably because we were out and about yesterday and after dropping her off for a nail appointment I ran down to the store to pick up a few groceries and when I came back to pick her up I had these with me

While I was alone I happened to drive past the apple tree next to the Vista Bella. I've never picked apples off that tree because that tree has never produced more than a hand full of apples. This year it has produced quite a few. Even though it's dropping them it still has at least a bucket full still on the tree. So I picked 6 easy to reach ones just for testing. They come in at 16 Brix which is about 8.8% potential alcohol, which is pretty awesome. They are a pretty high acid apple giving them a sweet-tart sort of flavor that would work well with a cider or brandy.

Now I'm thinking I might sneak off and pick that tree and see what I can get. I have already tied my record for cider production and I'm now thinking if I can get just 2 more buckets of apples it will bring total production to a nice round 75 gallons which is a much nicer number than 72.5