DAP
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2001
- Messages
- 1,180
- Tractor
- JD LX288 and a B7800
My better half makes a lot of stuff at home. She makes:
1. Soap
2. Shears, cards, cleans, dyes, and Spins wool and knits things with it
3. Maple Syrup
4. Relishes, hot sauces, jams, jellies, berries ice cream, fruit compots, etc.
5. Tries to grow way too many things in the gardens.
The one thing I asked her to make was black and/or red currant jelly.
After some research, here's what I found.
Currant production of any kind in the state of New York IS ILLEGAL. Until 2002.
Seems that sometime just after the civil war, a scientist informed the government that the Red and Black varieties of Currant fruiting trees and shrubs had a fungus that was responsible for the great white pine blights of the era. As such and as white pine being a coveted commodity, it's propagation was outlawed and importation of its fruit from neighboring areas frowned on.
In late 2002, a researcher, thumbing through the archives, discovered this science, challenged it and published the bogus finding. NY State finally withdrew the ban.
The plants are still slow in finding their way it seems. We've got some on order at a local nursery but aren't holding our breath.
I've seen these growing here, but only as part of preservations of historical gardens.
We recently re-purposed a small vegetable garden and have set it up to grow blackberries, raspberries and a spot for the currant bushes has been set aside there as well.
It's funny, last year, after 3 bad years, we finally had a blueberry yield from bushes that were planted around the house. The deer don't bother the blueberries but the birds will. Wonder if they will go after the currant?
1. Soap
2. Shears, cards, cleans, dyes, and Spins wool and knits things with it
3. Maple Syrup
4. Relishes, hot sauces, jams, jellies, berries ice cream, fruit compots, etc.
5. Tries to grow way too many things in the gardens.
The one thing I asked her to make was black and/or red currant jelly.
After some research, here's what I found.
Currant production of any kind in the state of New York IS ILLEGAL. Until 2002.
Seems that sometime just after the civil war, a scientist informed the government that the Red and Black varieties of Currant fruiting trees and shrubs had a fungus that was responsible for the great white pine blights of the era. As such and as white pine being a coveted commodity, it's propagation was outlawed and importation of its fruit from neighboring areas frowned on.
In late 2002, a researcher, thumbing through the archives, discovered this science, challenged it and published the bogus finding. NY State finally withdrew the ban.
The plants are still slow in finding their way it seems. We've got some on order at a local nursery but aren't holding our breath.
I've seen these growing here, but only as part of preservations of historical gardens.
We recently re-purposed a small vegetable garden and have set it up to grow blackberries, raspberries and a spot for the currant bushes has been set aside there as well.
It's funny, last year, after 3 bad years, we finally had a blueberry yield from bushes that were planted around the house. The deer don't bother the blueberries but the birds will. Wonder if they will go after the currant?
