Cowgirl Up on LatigoLiz.com

Monday, August 4, 2008

Mystery Berry Game

It’s my first blog contest! OK, I haven’t come up with a prize, but maybe the prize should be a sample pack of my syrups, jams and jellies that I have been making. Here are some pictures of the batch of jelly I made tonight, from berries picked here on our place.

I will only give a few clues about the kind of berries they might be. You can look at the pictures as your first clue and then know that this is a “native” species found in the Pacific Northwest.

Another hint, which I don’t know how helpful it will be, is that a few cedar waxwings tried to land in the bush while I was picking and I scared them away when I stood up. They hung out in a nearby birch tree the rest of the time I was picking.

This batch is slightly bitter. I have sweetened it with some 100% apple juice. And there is no recipe, at least not one that I could find on Google or anywhere else on the internet. There may or may not be clues in my links to other sites, blogs and stores. Anything is fair game. < Very Big Evil Grin! >

If anyone guesses the berry type and has a clue as to a good recipe to use these berries in, I have at least one more bush of them I can pick. Otherwise I leave them to the waxwings and other birds, since that it the reason we planted the bushes in the first place.

Leave your guess in comments and any correct guesses will be winners. I have plenty of jams and jellies to give away! :)

And here are some pictures of Buena, Buster, Shadow and Ernie from this afternoon to keep my posts kind of back on the horse topic. It was pushing 90°F today and is supposed to be warmer tomorrow!

I’ll keep this game open for at least a week, or until someone guesses what the berry is.

Well that was fast!

But I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised with all the smart ladies that put up their guesses. Cathi and Brenda, horse owners in the Puget Sound area, both correctly guessed twinberry. Here is some information:

Lonicera involucrata

Twinberry Honeysuckle

Las Pilitas Nursery

Lonicera involucrata

The Flavors of Home

So there you have it! Not particularly tasty, but the result is as black as night and if we don’t eat it, we can put it out for the birds to eat in the spring. I am guessing that Bullock’s orioles and other berry-eating birds will like it.

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45 comments:

Flying Lily said...

Serviceberry? Blue Elderberry?

Do I get two guesses?!

Callie said...

Ok, let's see.....huckleberries. I was going to say mountain ash, but I thinks those are red.

SunnySD said...

Huckleberries! At least they sure look like huckleberries to me. The bush looks too big to be a blueberry bush... Yummm....

Lisa said...

Never seen them or tried them... but my guess would be chokecherry?

Crunchy Chicken said...

If they aren't huckleberries, then are they bilberries?

Cousin Cheryl said...

Are they Kotataberries?

LatigoLiz said...

< VBEG > So far no one has got it.

Not serviceberry or blue elderberry. At least not this batch.

Definitely NOT huckleberries, though I wish they were! And not mountain ash.

Not chokecherry. Although that would be tasty.

Not bilberries.

Kotata berries? Nope. Never heard of those, and definitely NOT those.

The jelly for these berries turn out SOOO black. Can’t even see through it when I put the jar up to the light.

Keep guessing folks. You may have to do some more creative digging around to figure this one out. This bush does NOT have thorns, if that helps at all.

Anonymous said...

That looks like a Blue Huckleberry to me. Yummy :D

LatigoLiz said...

Nope, not blue huckleberry either.

You guys are going to have to get more creative.

CC’s bilberry gues was a good one, but still not right. :)

Anonymous said...

wait...are they juneberries?

Anonymous said...

oh and by the way...I don't post much...but when I read your blog on all the jelly and jam....I literally drool. There is nothing better than homemade.
I don't have the talent so I am always in awe of those of you who can make your own jellies and jams :D

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
SunnySD said...

Black currants? They're definitely not Logan berries, or thimble berries. Or, and this would be really sneaky, are they grapes? No, the pictures show bushes. My second guess is definitely currants.

judyaberryhill said...

I saw an ice cream today in the gorcery store with a berry on it but can't remember what it was now. Duh!!! But I saw Oso berry on google. Is that it?

LatigoLiz said...

Not grapes. Not currants. Not oso berries.

Heheheheh. This is fun!

Crunchy Chicken said...

Barberry? I'm thinking something like an Oregon grape here but less pokey...

LatigoLiz said...

Not barberry. Heheheheh. Not either type Oregon grape either, since I am all for giving clues.

Crunchy Chicken said...

Cripes! I've got it! It's an elusive berry rarely found north of California: the HalleBerry.

Crunchy Chicken said...

Salal?

Lisa said...

well, since nobody else put it down, how about blueberry?

Lisa said...

I have two more ideas if it's not a blueberry...

LatigoLiz said...

Not salal, but I have wanted to do that this year.

Not blueberry. I have already done a tasty batch of blueberry jam.

LatigoLiz said...

Love the HalleBerry joke! Not that one either!

SunnySD said...

Darn! Thought I had it there with currants.

I don't remember gooseberries being that rich dark color, and since you're making jam of them, I sure hope they're not the sheep droppings that the kids refer to as "blueberries"! :)

Maybe third time will be the charm - Lingonberries?

Cactus Jack Splash said...

Barberry?

LatigoLiz said...

Not gooseberries. Not lingonberries. And not the sheep-dropping berries. Doh! Not barberry.

Cactus Jack Splash said...

Vaccinium membranaceum, common name Douglas ex Hooker?

LatigoLiz said...

Hahahahaha. Wrong class. But nice attempt!

LatigoLiz said...

Oops! I mean wrong order. Right class. Sorry!

Lisa said...

black hawthorn?
alderleaf buckthorn?
cascara?

that's all I got!

LatigoLiz said...

Sorry Sasha, nope, nope, and nope. All good guesses, though. No thorns on this shrub, thankfully!

Brenda said...

indian plum

LatigoLiz said...

Ooh, nice try Brenda, but alas it also is incorrect.

Brenda said...

Twinberries

Cactus Jack Splash said...

Vaccinium ovatum

Cathi said...

TWINBERRY!!
pick me pick me!!

catahoula

Cathi said...

OH dear, Brenda beat me to it!
We MUST be right!

LatigoLiz said...

Ding ding ding ding! We have two winners! Sorry for the delay, I am playing the role of single parent till Thursday evening. Twinberry it is! I will post a litte bit more about what I found out about twinberries on the original post here in a little bit.

Brenda, I think I still have your address. Cathi, I'll give you yours tomorrow when I see you. Good sleuthing ladies!

This was fun. Now I have to come up with a new game.

Cathi said...

Brenda beat me to it by a long shot, she's the winner!! Glad I hadn't seen it though, I learned alot doing my research. I've heard of that plant, and when I saw it, I KNEW. Pretty fun. Thanks Liz. I look forward to the next game. ;=)
See you tomorrow.
Your HCW event is sold out with a waiting list! Awesome.

LatigoLiz said...

OK, I have updated the post with links to additional information. I had a hard time finding anything recipe-related, as you can see!

Brenda said...

I will see you tomorrow night!! I was just about to give up that was a hard one!! See you tomorrow!

LatigoLiz said...

Sweet! I’ll have your yummies waiting for you at the class! Looking forward to meeting anyone I haven't already met before! Bring a chair and prepare for some warm weather, even in the evening. It’s still quite balmy here right now even!

ljbrooks said...

Oh man! I missed it. Of course, I wouldn't have gotten it right anyway.

That's some good looking jam, Liz. Don't be afraid to put up another contest and email me first so I have a chance. :-)

SunnySD said...

Congrats, ladies! Have to admit, I never in the world would have known to guess twinberries - will be looking forward to the explanatory post detailing a new (to me, at least) edible!

Lisa said...

I didn't think twinberries were edible...?