These are ready, they are dark and plump and easily strip off the stalk.
These are not ready...they need some more days to ripen. These will be ready some time next week.
We picked about 2 gallons of fruit that was ripe.
Then it is washed and washed some more.
I assembled the new steamer /juicer.
The bottom is filled with water and a few marbles...so you can tell when it is boiling and if it boils dry.
The catch part....placed on top of the water,,,a funnel in the center allows the steam to go up. The catch basin will fill with juice and you can siphon it off into another container.
The berries are added next. The part the berries sit in has small holes so that the juice can drip downwards.
The whole contraption is so much easier than cheesecloths etc...I should have had it years ago!
It took about 90 minutes for the Chokecherries to be completely steamed...the house filled with the most delightful fragrance of cooking chokecherries.
I worked on the Christmas Cards and did some laundry while they were steaming.
Far Guy helped me siphon off the juice twice...I did not measure but I think we got about eight cups plus of juice. It is in the fridge and in the next couple of days I will make jelly. The juice can frozen or canned to be used at a later time.
We don't get a good Chokecherry crop every year...two years ago we had a great crop and harvest.
I have jars, lids, sugar and pectin all set to make a sticky mess in the kitchen soon.
You can only make jelly out of chokecherries...the seeds are poisonous....so jam is not a possibility.
Far Side
My son just talked about a steamer that he uses for hot water bath canning. Is this sort of the same thing?
ReplyDeleteI'm asking because I too am looking to make things simpler! I do have a mill I run blackberries through to get the juice and it works quite well. I use it for tomatoes too, so I don't have to bother that icky process of skinning them.
It has been a long time since I had chokecherry jelly. One of my favs!
This juicer/steamer is just for making juice. You can make any kind of fruit , vegetable or herb juice you would like, Yes this is certainly simpler but takes patience! I stayed in the vicinity of the kitchen for the entire time it was cooking and steaming.
DeleteThat is quite the contraption. Looks so much easier than the way my mother and grandmother used to make jelly/jam. I never did get into the canning "thing". Glad things went so well.
ReplyDeleteThat is so wonderful that you can gather food from your area without even planting! The juice extractor is pretty ingenious and glad it made it easier on you. I'm glad you mentioned the seeds were poisonous just in case I ever find any!
ReplyDeleteStill looks like quite a process. I've never done any canning, wouldn't know where to start. Glad you were able to pick a good amount to make your jelly :)
ReplyDeleteWow, that is a lot of chokecherries, and I am amazed that you got so much juice. I look forward to hearing how the jelly turns out. :-)
ReplyDeleteI haven't make jam or jelly in years. This is a process but I bet it will be worth it in the end!
ReplyDeleteWe noticed we have a few chokecherries on our property & seems the birds ate most as they got ripe. Thanks for the pictures comparing ripe & not ripe. We were wondering what ripe ones looked like. We have been given chokecherry jelly to try & seen the cherries while out & about but don't know much about them. We do plums. Heard not many of them this year.
ReplyDeleteChokecherry jelly - another childhood memory. My mom didn't make it, but one of her friends always did and always shared. The jars looked like little jewels. The other item this lady always shared was jars of fresh horseradish - which didn't excite me at all at the time.
ReplyDeleteNeat!
ReplyDeleteLooks much easier than cheesecloth! I haven’t made jelly in years, but remember well the sticky mess.
ReplyDeleteMy shrub was a catastrophe last year. Not sure what went wrong, I'll make jelly this year. Actually I'll give the cherries to my neighbor and she will give me a jar.
ReplyDeleteI remember picking chokecherries growing up in S. Dakota. My mom used to make chokecherry syrup.
ReplyDeleteI used to make grape juice and jam...it was always a huge process...just like what you are doing. Great Job, Connie
ReplyDeleteChokecherry jelly was one of my favorites as a child - haven't had it in years. I didn't even mind helping pick the berries. Unlike some berries they were easy to pick.
ReplyDeleteTake care and stay well.
Thanks for showing this process. I know about juice extractors but have never used one, since I seldom make jelly ant more.
ReplyDeleteThat was a lot of choke cherry picking! It sounds like the jelly is a special treat for you. That's wonderful.
I've not heard of chokeberries before so I googled them - it sounds like they have a most unusual taste which I thought sounded rather appealing. That steamer certainly sounds much easier than cheesecloth :)
ReplyDeleteThat does look much easier than the cheesecloth, etc., that I used to use with my Grandma years ago. Just the thought of chokecherries brings up happy memories. I used to make all kinds of things with her. One of my favorites was cottage cheese.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Betsy
Ooh, I like chokecherries. I picked many when I was slave labor at home. I've also had a juicer for at least 40 years.
ReplyDeleteLol - I was just thinking "Aren't they poisonous?!?" when I read the last sentence :-D.
ReplyDeleteWhat a handy contraption that is! That hot dripping cheesecloth and looking for a place to suspend it was never fun.
ReplyDeleteI've never tasted or heard of chokecherries. I bet they did smell great cooking. I love your steamer.
ReplyDeleteI remember picking chokecherries.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have ever heard of these berries
ReplyDeleteCheryl is VERY interested in your steamer/contraption. We have chokecherries here too, but have no idea how to use them. Ours may be different than yours. ( are there different kinds?) I know the Robins love them and it turns their poos a lovely shade of purple... when they poop on my Subaru! Does your steamer work with elderberries? Cheryl has been baffled how to get the stems, pits, and juice to be separated. She is very excited!
ReplyDeleteI bought it from Amazon just search for juicer/steamer...I think Walmart has them also online. Usually only one kind of Chokecherry trees/shrubs. The steamer will work with any kind of fruit or vegetable or herb ...you can juice them all.
DeleteThere are some videos online that give you tips on using a juicer/steamer:)
I'd love to be sitting in your kitchen smelling that great smell. What a fancy contraption you have! Enjoy your chokecherry days and jelly!
ReplyDeleteThat is quite the fancy setup! I've never tried chokecherries, but they sure look delicious! (All I know about them are what Laura Ingalls Winder wrote in her books about her mother making pies from them.) I can just imagine the smell - ahhhhh! You say you're sending each of us jar? LOL! Kidding!
ReplyDeleteWonder who the brave soul was to discover that it was only the seeds which were poisonous!
ReplyDeleteThat is a really nifty contraption! Definitely better than cheesecloth!
ReplyDelete