Backyard mini orchard - 2017 update

Hollywood Plums

I think the last time I posted about my backyard mini orchard was back in 2011. So, it's about time that I update y'all with what fruiting things I've got growing these days.


Back in 2011 I had:

• 2 dwarf cherries
• 2 columnar apples
• 1 dwarf plum
• 2 blueberries
• 4 blackberries
• 1 dwarf nectarine
• 1 dwarf peach
• 2 dwarf pears
• 1 Peter's Honey Fig
• 4 blackberries
• 30 strawberries
• 3 grape vines

The fig sadly didn't make it

Over the years, things have changed up a bit. I ended up (due to tree disease) ripping out the nectarine, peach and pear trees. 

I dug up the fig because it was over a side sewer line, removed 2 blackberries because 4 was waaaay too many, removed one grape because they were super seedy (and we replaced our fence that it was growing on), removed 1 blueberry because it just wasn't growing, and most of the strawberries died off over the winter (who knows why).


So, here we are in 2017 and I've got:

• 2 dwarf cherries
• 2 columnar apples
• 1 dwarf plum (Hollywood)
• 1 blueberry
• 2 thornless blackberries
• 3 strawberries
• 3 grape vines

And I've added since 2011:

• 1 super dwarf Honeycrisp apple
• 1 dwarf almond tree
• 1 Sudachi lime tree
• 1 cranberry 
• 1 super dwarf persimmon
• 2 thornless raspberries
• 1 arbequina olive

Fruit Production:

Right now I'm up to my eyeballs in blackberries and I'm pulling off the Hollywood plums since they are just about done for this year. I love this plum - the fruit is fantastic tasting and the tree is self-pollinating. I keep it about 8 feet tall, just so I don't have to reach too high for the fruit. I've also got some residual blueberries on the bush and I'm holding off on harvesting the apples until this weekend. I'm planning on canning some apple pie filling and applesauce.

What kind of fruiting trees/plants are you growing? What just didn't work out in your yard?

I think I'm 90% blackberries

Blackberry crisp!

'Tis the time of year wherein I'm inundated by far more blackberries than it is possible for one human to consume. Last year my daughter helped out with eating the blackberries but, for some reason, this year I've been left to my own devices.

I swear that about 90% of my body cells are being fed by a steady diet of Triple Crown Thornless blackberries and I still can't keep up with them. So, not surprisingly, I've been freezing them on sheet pans and storing them in gallon freezer bags to make this awesome blackberry crisp. But, mostly I'll be using them in my oatmeal when fruit and berry season slows down.. 

Triple Crown Thornless blackberries

I had a similar issue with our raspberries and have several bags frozen as well. I'm certainly not complaining! I've been relying on the fruit produced in our yard this year since I didn't really plant a garden until late in the season (it was really unseasonably cold here up through July) and broke down four of my raised beds and need to rebuild. 

The only vegetables I grew this year were garlic, zucchini, lettuce and tomatoes. It was a record low for me. I did make up for it by planting a fall garden, so we'll see how that goes since it's been very warm here since the beginning of August.

My fruit trees and bushes have been humming along producing loads of cherries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. The time for apples and plums is almost upon us, but more about that later!

How are your fruiting plants doing this year?

Yeah, I know I've been MIA - I can't make any promises, but maybe I'll post more than a few times this year!

Blackberry Mojito Fruit Leather Recipe

Yum!

If you have tons of blackberries you are trying to preserve, like to drink mojitos and don't mind chewing your fruit in a gummy format, then this fruit leather recipe is for you.

And, yes, it does contain rum. However, since it's cooked, the alcohol burns off, so you can safely feed these to your kids without worrying that you're a bad parent.

Feel free to halve this recipe.

Blackberry Mojito Fruit Leather

Ingredients:
8 cups blackberries
1/8 cup mint leaves, chopped 
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup rum
2 tablespoons lime juice
zest from 1 lime

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees F. Place blackberries and mint leaves in a large pot over medium-high heat and cook until blackberries release their juice and fall apart. About 10 minutes.

2. Remove blackberries and mint from the heat and run the mixture through a food mill to remove seeds. If you don't have overly seedy blackberries and don't mind mint flakes in your leather, then you can skip this step.

3. Return strained blackberries to pot and add applesauce, honey, rum, lime juice and lime zest and return to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Taste mixture for sweetness and add more honey if your berries are too tart for your liking.

4. Remove pot from heat and let cool for about 20 minutes.

5. Line two 11" x 17" baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour 1/2 of the puree onto each sheet and spread thickly and evenly with an offset spatula. Put into oven and bake for 6 hours or until no longer wet.

6. With a pizza cutter or kitchen shears, cut the paper in half. Cut the sheets into 2 inch strips and roll up. Store in an airtight container.  Obviously, don't eat the parchment - peel the fruit off.