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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Wild Prunus (North American plums and sour cherries) - taste reviews.

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  • From: Ginda Fisher <list@ginda.us>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Wild Prunus (North American plums and sour cherries) - taste reviews.
  • Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2010 08:34:39 -0500

One you didn't ask about is Prunus Serotina, or the American black cherry, better known as a source of furniture wood.  I used to live near a couple of mature black cherries in Princeton NJ.  The fruit is just a thin layer over a pit that's about the same size as the pit of a Bing cherry, so I have no idea how you could process it, but I used to eat them every season.  I'd just pick up a handful from the ground, suck off the pulp and spit out the pit.  They are a little bitter, but have a strong and pleasant cheery flavor, and I was very fond of them.  I wish I could find jam or juice or something made from them, but cherry products labeled "black cherry" are made from sweet black cherries, not from the species "black cherry".

Ginda

On Nov 27, 2010, at 2:24 AM, Steven Covacci wrote:

Hi,

All with experience with native plums, please post your reviews: Prunus americana; P. angustifolia; P. hortulana; P. nigra; P. pumila; P. munsoniana; P. mexicana; P. alleghaniensis; P. maritima...

All of these must be quiet variable within the species, flavor-wise also.  I hear mixed reviews on P. americana; P. angustifolia I've seen in generalist nurseries, so much be good; I hear that P. nigra might be a bit larger and/or better then most P. americana; I hear P. pumila makes for excellent preserves; I hear that P. munsoniana is the best plum for eating out of hand - some say 'better for eating then P. mume', etc; I know nothing of P. mexicana yet; I hear P. alleghaniensis may not be a very good plum for eating, much like the European species, P. spinosa; and I know, as do many, P. maritima to be an outstanding fruit, which I liken to a sweet, unique cherry/concord grape blend.  I would not want to be without: American persimmon; northern pawpaw; and beach plum, as well as a few others.

Also, on the topic of sour cherries, anyone try (out-of-hand or in preparations) Prunus pensylvanica (pin cherry; fire cherry)?  How does it compare to Prunus virginiana (choke cherry) - I'm pretty sure that it is more x-knot resistant then the later.  Any advantages to this fruit, even if subtle, over just planting a typical Eurasian sour cherry: P. cerasus? As for non-native sour cherries (really plums), I don't have a lot of good things to say for P. tomentosa, P. jacquemonti (sic?), and some others - although the later dried is pretty ok.  Just rather be conventional here and go with a traditional P. cerasus.  But I'm looking forward to trying P. pensylvanica - then P. virginiana (which I'd never grow since I don't want to start an outbreak of x-knot for my cherry trees or the neighborhood cherries the same.)

Thanks, 
Steve






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