Wonderberry

DonnaMarieNJ · February 21, 2015

Baker Creek sells seeds; as does Trade Winds.

Not much info on google - it says to treat it as a tomato. Yet, sugar should be added to use as a dessert in cooking.

What exactly is it? Has anyone tried to grow them? Why aren't there more seed sources for them?

I saw it mentioned that green (unripe) fruit are poisonous.

Thanks.

Donna

heirloomtomaguy · February 21, 2015

The mockingbirds here plant them all over my yard and in my blueberry pots. To me its a weed in my yard that is hard to eradicate. I tried to let one grow and boy are they prolific but the ones here get nasty diseases and last year it spread to some of my tomato plants. For me they were not very good for fresh eating. I did not try to use them in preserves but i did not want to after i tasted them fresh. For me i will stuck with my blueberries.

DonnaMarieNJ · February 21, 2015

Thanks.

I had never heard of them and was just curious.

drew51 · February 21, 2015

I grow a lot of berries you can't really eat fresh, but cooked are so good, I will always grow them. I have not tried this one though.

Wi-sunflower · February 22, 2015

I don't know if they still list them, but SSE had them about 5 or so years ago when I tried them.

Apparently they are something Burbank came up with.

The thing that scared the heck out of me is the fact that they look a whole lot like the black nightshade we have around here. Frankly I was afraid to pick them in case I got some of the bad stuff instead. Same for saving seeds. I'd hate to sell seeds that could possibly kill someone if I had any of the nightshade mixed in.

Carol

Ken B · February 26, 2015

We (SESE) carry it, it's... interesting, I enjoyed growing it the first time I tried it, but I'm not excited by it, though Ira's fond of making jam with it.

It's got a mild watermelon flavor, but it's barely sweet -- definitely needs sugar! And the berries are kinda small, so more work to pick. On our own farm, some years the flea beetles really love it, so we need to use row cover to protect the young seedlings to give them a good start.

We grew out some garden huckleberries this last summer, those are similar as far as being another nightshade that has mild flavor and is best for preserves. But it's got *much* bigger fruits and seemed to have better vigor.

NarnianGarden · February 26, 2015

I orderd seeds and grew it (two plants) last year, and really loved the berries. That is: the berries in one plant. The other produced beautiful, plump and delicious looking berries that had zero taste. No explanation to the glaring disparacy between the two...

Will try it again this year, God willing, but in a larger container. I hope and pray for an abundant crop of juicy and tasty little gems, not the kind that tasted like cardboard (yuck!)

I did read that unripe fruit could be poisosnous, so I waited long enough to make sure they were ripe enough. Don't agree that they're only good in jams and preserves - the taste was unique, and sweet.

Darren Abbey · February 27, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by NarnianGarden

I orderd seeds and grew it (two plants) last year, and really loved the berries. That is: the berries in one plant. The other produced beautiful, plump and delicious looking berries that had zero taste. No explanation to the glaring disparacy between the two...

This may explain some of the variations in reporting I've heard about the plant. Did you save seeds from the flavourful plant?

NarnianGarden · February 27, 2015

No Darren, I still have plenty of seeds I didn't save any from the plant.

Hoping and praying for a jackpot this year - I'll plant a few and pray for a plentiful (and flavorful) harvest!

But I think the instability issue is something they (Baker Creek) should have mentioned on the website.

pmcgrady · April 3, 2015

Don't eat any of the green berries, supposedly, they are toxic. Pick after berries have gone from glossy purple to dull purple and have become softer. Some people don't pick till after the first frost.
They need to be boiled in water (some say to add a pinch of baking soda when boiling) and then add sugar, makes great pies and jelly/jam.

February 21, 2015	#1
DonnaMarieNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Northeast New Jersey Posts: 726	Wonderberry Baker Creek sells seeds; as does Trade Winds. Not much info on google - it says to treat it as a tomato. Yet, sugar should be added to use as a dessert in cooking. What exactly is it? Has anyone tried to grow them? Why aren't there more seed sources for them? I saw it mentioned that green (unripe) fruit are poisonous. Thanks. Donna __________________ DonnaMarieNJ I pay the mortgage, but my cats own the house!

February 21, 2015	#2
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	The mockingbirds here plant them all over my yard and in my blueberry pots. To me its a weed in my yard that is hard to eradicate. I tried to let one grow and boy are they prolific but the ones here get nasty diseases and last year it spread to some of my tomato plants. For me they were not very good for fresh eating. I did not try to use them in preserves but i did not want to after i tasted them fresh. For me i will stuck with my blueberries. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

February 21, 2015	#3
DonnaMarieNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Northeast New Jersey Posts: 726	Thanks. I had never heard of them and was just curious. __________________ DonnaMarieNJ I pay the mortgage, but my cats own the house!

February 26, 2015	#7
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	I orderd seeds and grew it (two plants) last year, and really loved the berries. That is: the berries in one plant. The other produced beautiful, plump and delicious looking berries that had zero taste. No explanation to the glaring disparacy between the two... Will try it again this year, God willing, but in a larger container. I hope and pray for an abundant crop of juicy and tasty little gems, not the kind that tasted like cardboard (yuck!) I did read that unripe fruit could be poisosnous, so I waited long enough to make sure they were ripe enough. Don't agree that they're only good in jams and preserves - the taste was unique, and sweet. Last edited by NarnianGarden; February 26, 2015 at 05:45 PM.

February 21, 2015	#4
drew51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b Posts: 1,302	I grow a lot of berries you can't really eat fresh, but cooked are so good, I will always grow them. I have not tried this one though.

February 22, 2015	#5
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	I don't know if they still list them, but SSE had them about 5 or so years ago when I tried them. Apparently they are something Burbank came up with. The thing that scared the heck out of me is the fact that they look a whole lot like the black nightshade we have around here. Frankly I was afraid to pick them in case I got some of the bad stuff instead. Same for saving seeds. I'd hate to sell seeds that could possibly kill someone if I had any of the nightshade mixed in. Carol

February 26, 2015	#6
Ken B Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: central Virginia Posts: 243	We (SESE) carry it, it's... interesting, I enjoyed growing it the first time I tried it, but I'm not excited by it, though Ira's fond of making jam with it. It's got a mild watermelon flavor, but it's barely sweet -- definitely needs sugar! And the berries are kinda small, so more work to pick. On our own farm, some years the flea beetles really love it, so we need to use row cover to protect the young seedlings to give them a good start. We grew out some garden huckleberries this last summer, those are similar as far as being another nightshade that has mild flavor and is best for preserves. But it's got much bigger fruits and seemed to have better vigor.

February 27, 2015	#9
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	No Darren, I still have plenty of seeds I didn't save any from the plant. Hoping and praying for a jackpot this year - I'll plant a few and pray for a plentiful (and flavorful) harvest! But I think the instability issue is something they (Baker Creek) should have mentioned on the website.

April 3, 2015	#10
pmcgrady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 1,836	Don't eat any of the green berries, supposedly, they are toxic. Pick after berries have gone from glossy purple to dull purple and have become softer. Some people don't pick till after the first frost. They need to be boiled in water (some say to add a pinch of baking soda when boiling) and then add sugar, makes great pies and jelly/jam.