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Autumn olive
Picking the berries
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u9_ASCSC_I
Clean and prep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrozEhp4AEA
Fruit leather
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdauFX5duoU
Good stuff!
The seeds are real big and there's only one per berry so they go thru the food mill real easy with no seeds in pulp.
There are plants that look similar, so know the difference. Sam Thayer has an excellent article on his website about AO. www.foragersharvest.com
The sugar free uncooked au natural fruit leather was actually quite tart. I ate a real big piece after it cured and woohoo, pucker city, but the stuff that was cooked had a better feel, was smoother, less lumpy, and was much milder in flavor.
The flavor varies greatly from bush to bush and also depending on ripeness, but they are in my mind an excellent edible and as YCC already pointed out an invasive species. Depending on this they remind me of Granny Smith apples or cranberries, but some are much sweeter and almost have no tartness at all.
I'd suggest using caution as our state is actively trying to eradicate it using untrained people, volunteers, and potentially deadly herbicides. This varies from county to county though and unless they were just sprayed before you walked up on them you should be able to tell ones that were sprayed by dead foliage. If you contact the local DNR they should be able to tell you if they're spraying, hopefully.
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Around here road departments also do some spraying and clearing. Might check with the DOT depending on the location of the plants, as well as the electric company.
excellent review RWC. A new plant for me to quest for! and what better way to get rid of an invasive species than to use it for everything we can possibly use it for!
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Exactly! Why spray em when you can eat em. LOL!
I know a lot of folks can't watch vids so I'll try to post at least some what of an explanation when I do. Vids are so much easier though and usually tell a lot more tha I can in words alone.
I tried doing pictorials like you, but can't seem to arrange the photos properly and in order. You, AS and a few others seem to have a knack for the pictorials.
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