North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Sam Brungardt <samb@pop.isd.net>]

Ginda, in western Kansas we used to pick the wild buffalo or clove 
currants (of which Crandall is a selection) when they were soft and 
dark, purplish black.  They will hang on the bush for some time, and 
should be quite sweet when fully ripe.  We picked any green or red 
fruit along with the ripe fruit, and used it mixed with the ripe 
fruit in pies and for jelly.  It gives some zing to the flavor of 
pies and helps the jelly jell.  Warm buffalo currant pie served with 
vanilla ice cream is hard to beat!

>When is the best time to pick Crandalls?  I've never had a big enough
>crop before for this to be an issue, but I have quarts of berries
>hanging on the bushes.  Most are black, some are nearly there, some are
>still kind of green.
>
>Are they best when they first turn black?  After a couple of days?  Can
>they all be picked at once or should I pick as each one ripens?
>
>This year's berries seem much larger but less intensely flavored than my
>last crop (two years ago.)  Do they get bland when they get too big, or
>are these under/over ripe?
>
>Thanks,
>Ginda Fisher
>eastern Mass, zone 6
>
>
>
>
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