I love my raspberries!

[caroline7758]

Not a question- just a comment. If I ever think of giving up my plot (and i have a few times!) , it's the thought of my Autumn Bliss raspberries that keep me going. Today I got there to find the rain and the wind had bowed down the stems ( I have never bothered with supports), but I still picked about 6lbs of fruit- and that was on top of about 3lbs on Monday! I've made jam and coulis and frozen some this afternoon.  :D

[caroline7758]

[Flighty]

Me too, and I don't bother with supports either!

[non-stick]

Snap - no supports and just cut right down each winter. No idea of the "make" but they crop brilliantly. Makes us very popular with friends and family. We only weighed them one year and stopped that at around 80lbs! Same more or less every year, start around end of July and go through to the frosts. Love 'em!

[Digeroo]

I have Joan J and I am really pleased with them - huge fruits.  Only second year so not getting huge crops.  But a lovely treat down at the lottie.

[Borlotti]

Just had raspberries and cream for dessert.  Made jam, given some away, strawberries did well this year too.  And they look after themselves.

[TheEssexYorkshireman]

I picked another 1lb from my Autumn Bliss on Sunday and my wife's made some raspberry vodka - mmmmm can't wait til November ...

[shirlton]

We put some Joan J in last year and  we have a few berries on them

[saddad]

We have Autumn Bliss coming out of our ears... (very messy!)  ;D

[macmac]

We've got loads of autumn bliss this year,some of them almost the size of strawbs  :o
We freeze loads great half thawed and "mushed"(a culinary term  :)) with strawbs and or blackcurrants,blackberries etc and a mashed banana topped up with apple juice mmmm.
today I've made vanilla ice cream and sieved some rasps for raspberry ripple yum.
'Don't you just love a glut ! when poor non allotment folk have to buy puny punnets and count them out  :-\

[non-stick]

Rough estimate is about 20lb so far this year with loads to come - we normally pick through to October. Very popular with neighbours and friends as we give quite a few away

[Mrs Ava]

My dessert island fruit.  :P  I grow Glen Ample and they have been producing huge fruits since June and on a brief picking visit today, daughter picked, and ate, handfuls of huge, plump, sweet berries.  Couldn't live without them.

[artichoke]

"poor non allotment folk have to buy puny punnets and count them out", yes and they are SO expensive.

I have almost more than I can use in a year. I freeze them dry and raw then pour them into plastic bags. I add sugar to some, simmer them lightly, or not at all, and maybe add some blackberries (also amazing at the moment), freeze, and use as "fruit sauce" over icecream or any other pudding.

Raspberry vinegar is delicious and expensive to buy. As well as adding flavour to almost anything, not just salads, it makes a surprisingly nice drink. I have bought cheap vinegar in bulk from a Chinese supermarket, so it costs almost nothing to make.

I am disappointed in Glen Coe, the "black" raspberry. The fruit is small and sparse, so far, and has a grey mouldy look. It was quite expensive too. I thought it would be nice to have red, yellow (Allgold) and black fruit.

[artichoke]

Also, even my autumn raspberries need support - I cannot manage them without. They fall all over the ground and I can't get at the fruit. Too many summer guests to cater for and go on outings with, meant plants lying on the ground, falling all over the paths, and it took some time to hoist them up with canes and string. It is not a lot of trouble done early enough, but absolutely essential for me.

Maybe I give them too much manure in the spring, but the raspberries are the biggest and most plentiful ever, in a 10 yr old row, and in the other younger rows.