TOPIC: opening day...

Chief...

Per our long range forcast... lows for tonight and a few days after.. 41 37 45 53 54

Yesterday they were showing 39 39 36 then back in the 40's and 50's ---

Peach blooms and 37 are Ok... no problems there... I hope those 40's and 50's for lows stick with us until May 1.

If they do I am going to have a LOT of fruit to eat this year.

I have a bunch of new stuff that should bear fruit this year for the first time... a Lapins Cherry, 2 Goumi Bushes, Honey Berry bushes, JostaBerry, currants, and a new Peach that is sure looking like it is going to produce here on it's 3rd leaf. I may limit it to just a few since it is so young... but man it is a very aggressive grower. It is a "Rising Star" and so far is looking really good.

I have some new Ouachita blackberries (started last spring) that will produce this year... and still have my older Ilinni and they are looking good too.... and now all these Raspberries...

Could be a very nice year for berries and fruit... the berries seem to never fail... but out fruit trees here are very hit and miss... our late frosts can be extreme. When they don't happen, over loaded with fruit.

First of April and my morels will start showing up too... Yum.

TNHunter

Hey guys, hope you and your families are doing well.

Weather and temps wise, we're somewhere between the two of you. I planted 7 fruit trees last year and none are dead though one peach looks a bit frail. That's good for me.

Not sure if I've mentioned this but we had several potential house crushing trees cut down last spring and I decided that the slope they were on, just off our kitchen door would make a great berry garden, lots of sun now. I'm in the process of clearing the brush and have set a dozen or so fence posts...work in progress. I'll move blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries from two other gardens as soon as I get it fenced off. Friggin' deer are eating plants right off my front steps.

TN, your peach tree looks awesome, I hope I live long enough to see my trees get almost that fruitful.

My kitchen/dining room is pretty much done and I had hoped to start fishing again this year but I need another year with the remodels, two gardens I'm putting in (berry and second vegetable garden), and my race schedule.

Meanwhile, trees in the woods are blooming.

TN, do you have a nice recipe for morels? I found some last year but by the time I learned how to determine that they were in fact morels and not bad shrooms, they were gone. I don't recall if it was heat or a frost but I think it was closer to or in May when I found them. They were along a trail to one of my sweet-spots!

BTW, once they come up, is there a way to tell if the should be picked that day, the next day, etc. Maybe the weather forecast comes into play? Finally, do you cook them and eat straight away or can they hang out in the fridge for awhile?

Woodsrunner... my place seems to have a very short morel mushroom window... I normally find them one trip (like one weekend) and the very next weekend, i am lucky to find anymore. Hardly ever do... I think here in TN when it starts warming up... we go from winter to summer pretty quickly... and fly right by spring... which gives us a shorter morel window than most.

Or it could just be like that here on my place... I hardly ever go anywhere else to look for them.. I have in the past, but had no luck with that.

What I have noticed over the years... when redbuds have been blooming a while (full redbud bloom) the first early dogwoods will start to open...

That is when I find them.... every time I find them it is in that rather short window. Once dogwoods are more into full bloom... nowhere to be found here.

I usually hunt them, find them (when lucky)... bring em home and eat them that same day for dinner.

I like to cook them in a mix of butter and olive oil... about half/half... or even, butter and bacon fat...

Back before i figured out I had to cut the Carbs... I used to prep them like this.

I would cut them in half, then wash them good, then dry off with paper towel. Put them in a Bowl and spray them with a little spray olive oil just to get a little light oil coat on them... then season with salt, pepper, and toss in flour... then into the frying pan.

Gook until golden brown... does not take too long... and man they are so good.

Now days without the flour... I do basically the same thing except I season them good with my 5 spice (salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika) and use just a dash of fine almond flour... and cook them up.

I have not had to worry about how to store them yet... never found more than we could eat in one sitting... not yet anyway.

TNHunter

TN, last year the morels were here then gone so fast that this year when I see them I'm gonna cut et and bring them down to the house.

Having said that, cutting is best as opposed to digging them up, yea? I've heard of folks out west pulling off the highway and digging up shrooms (for eating), I forget what type of shroom they were.

I hope I find them in the same place this year since it was along a trail I walk regularly.

Speaking of seasoning and sorry for changing the subject, I ran a 100 miler in LA in 2019; I was given a gift bag because I was the first runner to sign up from my state. In the bag was a seasoning called "Slap ya Mama" and I've fallen in love with it. My wife who represents our state in a national road running organization mentioned the above to the LA rep and she sent us several cans of the seasoning plus a couple of the hotter version. It will take me years to enjoy all this so if anyone is interested, I'd be happy to share.

Shrooms, seng right around the corner, races returning with my first ever visit to Maine, might be a good year.

mushroom hunting here last year was a bust..hope it will be better this year..good luck in your race Woods

woke up to a brisk 24 degree temp. this morning.brrrrrr

20 degrees this morning...this don't feel like spring

TN, this is how far behind you iam..peach tree....

......green gage plums.....

Chief...

We had 3 nights there a little while back where it sure had me worried about my peaches, apples, blueberries and a bunch of other stuff that was in full bloom at the time.

On the other side of that now and ... still got peaches, apples, and so far everything is looking good.

Looks like it might be a year with peaches this year... my 10 day is showing mostly mid 40's to mid 50's now...

It takes around 25-27 degrees to take out peach once fruit are set. Sure hope we don't see that after the next 10 days.

Good Luck to you all on your fruit !

TNHunter