Berry Patch News

What's New at the Berry Patch.
We will open the 2006 Season the First Week of June -
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BAILEY'S BERRY PATCH

Sixty Mayhaw trees were planted during October 1998. Mayhaw trees are found in East Texas and Louisiana. The clusters of small, red fruit hang from the trees waiting to be picked. Mayhaws are primarily used for jam, jelly, syrup and pastry fillings. Many a family will remember Grandmother's jelly. Mayhaw

Several varieties of Muscadine (grapes) were planted during November 1999. Muscadines are truly a fruit for the South. They were discovered by the early colonists and have been a favorite of Southerners since.

The Muscadine, which is also called Scuppernong, was the first native American grape to be cultivated. Production is primarily for home use--for juice, wine, and as fresh fruit. In a study reported January 1997 in Science, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago purified resveratrol from grape sources and showed it to have anticarcinogenic activity, meaning that it inhibits tumor promotion. Muscadines also contain elegiac acid, a natural organic compound thought to inhibit the start of cancer caused by certain chemicals. Muscadines come in 3 different colors, bronze, black and red, and range from 18-24% sugar. The Berry Patch had chosen 6 varieties that are suitable to the North Central Area. The bronze varieties chosen are Darlene, Early Fry, Late Fry, and Pam. The black varieties chosen are Supreme and Ison. Muscadines became available in August 2002.

A number of Pluot and Aprium trees were planted in late Fall, 1999. These delicious new types of fruit promise to bring a new delight to fruit lovers. Genetic specialists have taken a plum and an apricot and mixed them together to give people the best of both worlds. Pluots and Aprium are "interspecifics"--complex hybrids of two or more fruit species. Pluots interspecifics are derived from plum and apricot.

Pluots have predominantly plum parentage and smooth skins like plums. The cross is 75% sweet plum and 25% sweet apricot. The complex, intense flavor of Pluots is unique to interspecifics, much like a blend of fruit juices where the mixture is an improvement over any separate ingredients. Additionally, the sugar content of interspecifics is much higher than in standard varieties, yielding fruit of incomparable sweetness. The Berry Patch will have a variety called Flavor Supreme. Flavor Supreme is one of the sweetest and best-flavored fruits ever measured. It actually peaks at 30% sugar content, twice that of most other fruits. The fruit is 2 1/2" in diameter, with firm, juicy, burgundy flesh. It is solid red when fully ripe. The Berry Patch estimates that the first fruit will be available in June, 2004.

Apriums are predominantly apricot and are slightly fuzzy. The cross is 75% sweet apricot and 75% sweet plum. The Berry Patch will have a variety called Flavor Delight. Flavor Delight has the clean tang of an apricot, boosted by the sweetness of a plum. It's sweet, bright yellow 2" diameter fruit will be welcomed with delight by apricot lovers. The first Apriums should be available in June 2004.

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