Help with choosing new soft fruit

[Bren In Pots]

I love pudding but can't eat one after a dinner so we have soup followed by pudding instead.

[Scarlet]

We'd be better off making puddings mid-week instead of raiding the freezer for ice cream, or grabbing a bar of chocolate instead

That's why I make them, they're usually starving and if there is apple pie, or crumble available they have to eat that before a bar of chocolate. Ice cream makers are so easy to use - home made raspberry or blackcurrant ice cream is fantastic.

[KevinM67]

I know we are going off on a tangent here - I'm another who never got the traditional pudding after dinner growing up, however, I now raid the fridge/freezer for chocolate or ice cream bar just about every night.

I'm planting a variety of fruit this Autumn - the idea of making my own flavoured ice cream next year seems appealing. I might have another roam about here to see how to do it.

[Scarlet]

Perhaps I should knock up a pudding during a lunch break (I work from home). I'm not much good in the kitchen though ... growing the stuff is my domain ...

My OH is useless in the kitchen and he's not much good in the garden either! Though a crumble is an easy dessert to start with if you wanted to give it a go.

the idea of making my own flavoured ice cream next year seems appealing. I might have another roam about here to see how to do it.

I've got a cheap ice cream maker - actually came free when I bought a fridge. It's basic but does the job.

[Kristen]

My OH is useless in the kitchen and he's not much good in the garden either! Though a crumble is an easy dessert to start with if you wanted to give it a go.

I doubt I'd be useless in the kitchen, but I doubt very much I would enjoy it - same processes each time ... I'm a "project starter" rather than a "closer finisher"

[Alison]

I think that the reason I enjoy cooking different things is because I love eating nice food where I can identify the ingredients . Suppose though that my main interest is in the things I most like to eat and I haven't really got a sweet tooth so although I love a bit of chocolate and the odd biscuit I eat them far less than once a week as it never occurs to me to buy them in, not really a snacker really so am full after a savoury meal. Make the occasional fruit cake or something like flap jack but puddings are only done for visitors really - they probably think we eat them all the time

[Kristen]

puddings are only done for visitors

Warrington, Cheshire is a bit of a hike ... Blast!

[BUFFS]

if you have a piece of ground that's not very good ,grow some alpine strawbs from seed and plant them 6ins apart, in the second year you will get small really tasty fruit from mid june til the frosts and they seem to last 6/7 years without you doing anything but keeping the weeds down,,,,the taste is amazing, so much better than the big bloated ones that have been bred from these, a 8ft x 3ft area gives me a large yoghurt potful every 3-5 days and the seeds cost about £1.50 or thereabouts and how much is one punnet?..

[Feral007]

My vote would be jostaberry as it is the easiest thing to grow. I'm struggling with my 2nd lot of blueberries, whereas the jostaberry cuttings are in and leafing up already.

Enough watering and I'll have about 7 plants next year.

[Alicante]

if you have a piece of ground that's not very good ,grow some alpine strawbs from seed and plant them 6ins apart, in the second year you will get small really tasty fruit from mid june til the frosts and they seem to last 6/7 years without you doing anything but keeping the weeds down,,,,the taste is amazing, so much better than the big bloated ones that have been bred from these, a 8ft x 3ft area gives me a large yoghurt potful every 3-5 days and the seeds cost about £1.50 or thereabouts and how much is one punnet?..

I love alpine strawberries! I grow them at home in a very stoney patch and they thrive. They make loads of runners which are great for passing on to friends.

[Alicante]

My vote would be jostaberry as it is the easiest thing to grow. I'm struggling with my 2nd lot of blueberries, whereas the jostaberry cuttings are in and leafing up already.

Enough watering and I'll have about 7 plants next year.

Thank you for the suggestion, I had not considered jostaberries. I am ashamed to say that I dont think I have ever eaten one!
What do they taste like? Can the taste of them be compared to any other soft fruit?

[FlawlessVictory]

if you have a piece of ground that's not very good ,grow some alpine strawbs from seed and plant them 6ins apart, in the second year you will get small really tasty fruit from mid june til the frosts and they seem to last 6/7 years without you doing anything but keeping the weeds down,,,,the taste is amazing, so much better than the big bloated ones that have been bred from these, a 8ft x 3ft area gives me a large yoghurt potful every 3-5 days and the seeds cost about £1.50 or thereabouts and how much is one punnet?..

I grew some from seed this year and they were great, do you know if they get better in the second season just like the commercial types. They will be in my second strawberry patch on my allotment once I sort it out, they were previously grown in hanging baskets so I'm sure their roots will enjoy the freedom!