To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Are Brambles good for me to try
Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2007 09:56:11 -0500
"If you were to compare the flavor of red raspberries to
the taste of Kool Aid, black raspberries would be like a fine merlot."
Jim and Betsy,
That is a good line. I find red raspberries boring. Once we were
invited to pick in a red raspberry patch where the owners were on vacation,
and I had to abmit they were pretty nice ripe and fresh like that. Also, a
client has brought in fresh picked raspberries for us. But I can't be
bothered to grow them. I've been given several plants over the years, and
they make a few berries, but never seem to thrive and certainly never
attempt to take over. I've seen a couple of nice patches in TN, but then a
few years later the owners report they fizzled out. Everything I read
implies they are prone to disease. And the flavor, yes, it seems rather
simple. Tart with a small bit of flavor. The black raspberries we have and
that we've picked wild seem to all be small but the flavor is superb. If
you offered me my choice of fruit you've done the work of growing and
picking, I'd take the black raspberries over the reds, no hesitation at all!
I'd take them over blackberries too. Mind you, if I have to do the growing,
I'd have to think about that latter choice. I don't think that black
raspberries ever crop as heavily as blackberries. What do you all think?
On the other hand, they aren't viciously armed, and the vines are red and
make interesting shapes in winter. They propagate themselves, and it's easy
to dig and move the tip rooted vines. Donna