# Name that berry tree



## Ashful (Jun 20, 2013)

I have a medium (18"ish) tree inmy back yard that's been dropping berries like crazy the last two weeks.  Got some photos, and wondering if anyone here can ID.


----------



## begreen (Jun 20, 2013)

Morus alba, aka White mulberry? If so, you have a medicine tree with some remarkable properties. Collect the berries and make wine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morus_alba


----------



## Ashful (Jun 20, 2013)

Cool! It was seeing the recent Mulberry sap thread that made me think this must also be a mulberry tree.

Comparing photos of the leaves, it does appear you nailed it.  These berries stay white (pale green) even when they're ripe and falling from the tree.


----------



## Jags (Jun 20, 2013)

Lay sheets on the ground to collect the fallen berries.  If the tree isn't too big, shaking it can help.


----------



## Augie (Jun 20, 2013)

Have a 40ft Black Mulberry behind the house that I collect from every year, wine, jam, schnapps, syrup


----------



## Ashful (Jun 20, 2013)

Okay.... next obvious question... how does one make schnapps from berries?  

Syrup sounds interesting, but more work than I have time for, at the moment.  How are the berries on pancakes?


----------



## Augie (Jun 21, 2013)

Schnapps are huge in Austria, basic idea big jar of fruit, dump in Vodka, let sit.


Syrup isn't hard,  Collect berries boil and strain, reduce extract and combine with simple syrup. Super easy


----------



## begreen (Jun 21, 2013)

When we have a good pie cherry crop I do a variation on this recipe. http://www.homebrewunderground.com/40/tart-cherry-liqueur-recipe-part-1/
The results are awesome. People love this liqueur. And I get nice jugfulls of alcohol infused cherry raisins as the result.


----------



## lukem (Jun 21, 2013)

begreen said:


> When we have a good pie cherry crop I do a variation on this recipe. http://www.homebrewunderground.com/40/tart-cherry-liqueur-recipe-part-1/
> The results are awesome. People love this liqueur. And I get nice jugfulls of alcohol infused cherry raisins as the result.


 

We had a bumper crop of pie cherries this year...almost 5 gallons.  They've all been picked and put up (dehydrated or in the freezer), but I might have to try this next year.


----------



## Augie (Jun 21, 2013)

begreen said:


> When we have a good pie cherry crop I do a variation on this recipe. http://www.homebrewunderground.com/40/tart-cherry-liqueur-recipe-part-1/ The results are awesome. People love this liqueur. And I get nice jugfulls of alcohol infused cherry raisins as the result.


 

Basically the same operation as I suggest. Easy to do, makes good liqueur.


----------



## Ashful (Jun 21, 2013)

Most sites I checked in a very quick search suggest:

1.  Soak fruit in vodka or sugar distilled liquor (40% - 50% ABV) for 4 weeks.
2.  Add sugar (necessary with some fruits, not with others).
3.  Distill in water bath still.

Somehow these guys are skipping the distilling process?


----------



## Augie (Jun 21, 2013)

no  both are correct, Two different methods of producing similar products


American schnapps is an alcoholic beverages that is produced by mixing neutral grain spirit with fruit flavors or with other flavors. This mixture is then bottled with added sugar and (usually) glycerine, producing a smooth, syrup-like drink. Their alcohol content can be between 15% and 50% ABV (30–100 proof)

For German(or Austrian,or most of eastern Eourpe) term _Schnaps_ refers to any kind of strong alcoholic drink although it is not produced by means of fermenting  fruit, which would produce a low yield of alcohol due to  low sugar content. Instead, neutral grain spirit is infused with fresh raspberries, and this mixture is then distilled.


----------



## Ashful (Jun 21, 2013)

Ah... I guess that's where this comment came from:



			
				[URL]http://homedistiller.org/flavor/flavour/schnapps[/URL] said:
			
		

> No sugar is to be added- the end result is a fiery spirit with a great bouquet of whatever fruit you used- this is TRUE schnaps- not the over sugared, watered-down, artificially flavored garbage that passes for schnaps here in the US.


 
Me?  I really enjoy the stuff they somehow capture in Edle Tropfen.


----------



## StihlHead (Jun 21, 2013)

Not skipping the distilling, using distilled neutral flavored vodka (or other clear spirit like white rum or tequilla) and making a liqueur out of it. Classic method for making whiskey is to distill a clear sprit (vodka) from an assortment of fermented plant material, then store it in toasted oak barrels for many years. Same with gin, add juniper berries to vodka and let it age. Vodka is the basic clear distilled base for making a lot of flavored liqueurs from. Usually they are not re-distilled after they are flavored.

Brandy on the other hand is usually made from fermented grapes (wine) or some other fermented fruit that has been distilled. It is then aged in toasted oak barrels for flavoring.


----------



## Augie (Jun 21, 2013)

like everything some enthusiasts take it too far!lol 

Here we have a home distiller saying if you like american schnapps you aren't as cool as he is.... kind of like some here saying that burning willow or cotton wood make you a lesser hearth.com member..


----------



## begreen (Jun 21, 2013)

My method is a bit more involved. It comes from a Polish recipe that uses reverse osmosis to extract the essence of the fruit. That doesn't make me a liqueur snob, but it sure does taste great and it allows one to control the sweetness according to preference.


----------



## Ashful (Jun 21, 2013)

Okay... well it sounds either way like step 1 is to collect some berries, and put in a mason jar with some vodka, roughly 2:1 ratio vodka to berries.  Will do that tomorrow.  We can debate step 2 for the next four weeks!


----------



## BrotherBart (Jun 21, 2013)

I name the tree Fred.


----------



## hossthehermit (Jun 21, 2013)

Looks like a dingle tree to me ..................


----------



## Ashful (Jun 22, 2013)

hossthehermit said:


> Looks like a dingle tree to me ..................


 

What?

Came home from work and mowed last night, and the whole time I was out there, I was dodging deer gathering up the berries that fell from this tree.  I'd make a pass under the tree, and they'd scatter, and then as soon as I had passed, they'd come back in for some foraging behind me.  Was very entertaining, although a little disconcerting how comfortable they're becoming around me, and how much of my shrubbery they're eating this year.

After mowing, I threw down a few drop cloths, and gave a few branches a shake.  Berries fell by the hundreds, and before I knew it, 5 quarts of berries were on the ground.  I gathered them up, and we had a half quart on our pancakes this morning.  I also confirmed I have an un-opened bottle of Kettle One, which will get used for the schnapps.  I'm not typically a vodka drinker, anyway.

I also found a bottle of "Feige en Vodka" in the back of the cupboard, from Germany, sitting there unopened since I can't remember when.  Hmm...

I now have a 3 year old boy who's very much into picking berries off the tree, and stealing all of the ripe raspberries off the bushes.  He knows to stay away from the red berries on the hollies, but will have to watch him.


----------



## hossthehermit (Jun 23, 2013)

Joful said:


> What?
> 
> Came home from work and mowed last night, and the whole time I was out there, I was dodging deer gathering up the berries that fell from this tree. I'd make a pass under the tree, and they'd scatter, and then as soon as I had passed, they'd come back in for some foraging behind me. Was very entertaining, although a little disconcerting how comfortable they're becoming around me, and how much of my shrubbery they're eating this year.
> 
> ...


 
Ya know, a dingle tree. That makes 'em dingle berries ..........................


----------



## Ashful (Jun 23, 2013)

hossthehermit said:


> Ya know, a dingle tree. That makes 'em dingle berries ..........................




Sorry... Been a while since I was in middle school.


----------



## Ashful (Oct 17, 2013)

Okay, well these berries have been steeping in the vodka since June.  I added sugar sometime in August, and sealed the jars back up.  I didn't mean to leave them as long as I have, but I've been busy, and figured it couldn't hurt to let them soak longer.

I suppose the next step must be straining thru a coffee filter, and bottling?  Unfortunately, I think I just tossed some decent wine bottles in the recycling yesterday... might have to pick up on my drinking to get some more.


----------



## begreen (Oct 18, 2013)

I took my plums out a few weeks ago. It was still a bit tart so I added a bit of simple syrup to get it just right. Delicious! I will definitely do a lot more next year. Our cherry liqueur is also done and came out great.


----------



## Ashful (Oct 19, 2013)

Well, I removed the lids on two of my three jars, and poured the contents thru a coffee filter into the vodka bottle from which the spirit originally came.  Very tasty, I must say!  My notes on the jar indicate I had collected the berries and begun maceration Jun.21, and added sugar on Aug.27, a much longer time in the jar than I had been advised or intended.

I had been wondering since June, whether I had made a mistake by simply filling a mason jar full of un-crushed mulberries, and debating if I should go back and muddle them in the jar to let it steep a while longer.  But, I think this brew came out pretty good without having done that.


----------

