Jams and Jellies
By deebomb
@deebomb (15304)
United States
July 2, 2008 7:35am CST
I grew up in Nebraska with the wide open plains. As a kid I lived with my grandmother and we would go into the gullies and along the irrigation ditches to pick choke cherries, currents and elderberries. When we got home we would make jams and jellies from these wild fruits. They were so good. The choke cherries grew in the gullies in pastures, and were the most offal tasting cherries but, oh, they made such good jam. There the choke cherries grew on bushes because of the little rainfall. The elderberries did better because they grew near the irrigation ditches. I get to South Carolina and the choke cherries are huge trees. I haven't seen any wild currents out here. Do any of you make wild fruit jam or jellies?
2 people like this
6 responses
@JoyfulOne (6231)
• United States
2 Jul 08
Mornin! I make some of the wild fruit jams. Mostly I make the freezer-jam version (I have a huuuuuge chest freezer...gotta keep it filled with all kinds of stuff lol) I have a lot of wild strawberries, blackberries, and scads of elderberry bushes here. Most of the elderberries and blackberry bushes are by the furthest back fields. I consider myself fortunate to have free food just waiting to be picked for my winter-time pleasure. Some I make into jam, and some into pies. I think we have a version of wild cherry, but I've never got a positive ID on it to be sure, so I just leave them for the birds. I used to have the currents on the edge of the woods, but I can't find any in a long time now. I love my jams!! Nice to know others do this too :-)
2 people like this
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
3 Apr 10
I've never heard of choke cherries and I've never made jam or jelly out of wild berries. I do remember once my aunt sent a bunch of us kids to pick berries for her...we came back hours later with a puny little bit in the bottom of the bucket...we were stuffed full of berries LOL She never sent us after them again...
[b]**AT PEACE WITHIN** 
~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~[/b]
~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~[/b]1 person likes this
@ketybhagat (4123)
• India
3 Jul 08
I envy you all living in spaces where fruits grow wild and in abundance. I live in the city and open spaces are rare, forget fruits growing wild. I do make jams of gooseberry but we have to buy them. They taste lovely. I would love to try my hand at peach jam as peaches are now in season. How does one make peach jam ? Any ideas.
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
2 Jul 08
hi deebomb I grew up on a farm in S.D and my mom made jelly
from all the chokecherries we picked in the wild, and also from all the buffalo berries along Horse Creek. Now I live in California and havent made home made jelly in many years.
I dont think chokecherries even grow around here.
1 person likes this
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
2 Jul 08
I have never made any of the jams or jellies that you mentioned, but I do bet they were really good.. I do love any homemade jams and jellies as they have a more natural or fresher taste.. I don't know if I would know any of these plants if I saw them.. Have a wonderful day... Donna
@ramyashreesk (1021)
• India
2 Jul 08
Hello , hope you are doig good , i love jams espcially. I Love strawberry jam and marmalad. Not tasted any wild fruits jam. Happy Mylotting!
