Since we’ve been here, almost 5 years now, I’ve heard about agarita jelly. Agarita is probably the prickliest plant I have ever encountered. At least with prickly pear, I can use long tongs and pick the fruit without getting stuck but with the agarita, it was a painful experience!
Every year I plan to pick the berries and make jelly and have never done it. This year, I said . . I’m doing it! I’ve heard that you simply turn an open umbrella upside down and beat the bushes and the berries will fall into the umbrella. That didn’t work. I’ve also heard that you can lay a sheet down and beat the bushes and the berries will fall onto the sheet. That didn’t work either so I put on Vince’s leather gloves and tried picking them but the gloves were too big and too bulky and I couldn’t get that to work. I ended up holding a bucket under each branch and, while wearing gloves, rubbing my hand along the branch and knocking off the berries into the bucket but, I was also knocking off leaves and stems and bark and everything else.
Agarita
I probably spent 2 hours cleaning these berries. I do believe this was my first and last attempt at harvesting agarita berries.
Agarita Juice
The juice is now ready. Either this afternoon or tomorrow, I will make jelly . . and it darned sure had better be the best jelly I’ve ever tasted!
debbierhodes says
These look what mom called sand plums, in northern Oklahoma. And it is the best jelly I ever ate I bet you enjoy it. Only I don’t remember thorns.
JudyL says
Several folks have mentioned sand plums today and I’ve never heard of them so maybe it is similar.
Sherrill says
Good grief! Like you don’t have enough to do! LOL Will be interesting to hear your verdict.
Maggie says
LOL but it might be better for you if it is just good, not the best ever, because then you won’t want to do it again!
wanda j says
I’ve never ever heard of these in my life or seen them. What does the plant look like? Where do they grow? Are hey wild? And I’m no spring chicken and my grandparents made jelly out of everything they could find around here. Mayhaw was our favorite and still is
myrna sossner says
I am wondering if you left the fruit on for a little longer, it may ripen a little more and come off the bush easier.
JudyL says
Yes, it would but then the birds get them all. I’ve been watching and as the berries begin to disappear, I know it’s time to make my move. After last night’s hail storm, there probably are no berries left anyway.
lora Prange says
When we picked blueberries we ran the berries over a screen with quarter inch holes with a fan behind/under the screen the fan blew the leaves grass and twigs away and the berries rolled into a bucket. google or u tube for a better explanation. it saved a lot of time cleaning.
hope it helps save you time next time.
JudyL says
The agarita had all been kinda mushed and it was a gooey-sticky mess and the leaves were stuck to the berries. We tried the fan trick and it didn’t work.