by johnah on October 31, 2020
Goumi Berry Shrubs – Tips On Caring For Goumi Berries
Goumi (Euphorbia pulchra) are shrubby perennial herbs with white flowers and red berries. They grow wild throughout much of Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. The name “gourd” comes from their shape: they resemble gourds but have a flat bottom instead of rounded top.
The leaves are usually arranged in two rows, each leaf having five leaflets. The leaves are opposite, with one facing up and the other down. There are four pairs of petioles at the base of each leaflet; these serve to separate the leaflets into individual segments.
Each segment has three leaflets and there is no setula between them.
Each leaflet bears one or two stamens and the fruit contains several seeds. The fleshy part of the fruit is edible when ripe, but it does not taste very good unless eaten fresh. It is greenish yellow inside and has a bitter aftertaste.
The juice of the fruits is sweet, though, so eating them raw makes sense if you want to get your vitamins from them.
The stem of the goumi plant is woody and very strong. It can be used to make all kinds of things, especially musical instruments. The fruits of the plant are edible when ripe.
The bark of the mature stems can be boiled to make a kind of tea. They contain a sweet substance and large quantities can be dangerous. They also contain a number of useful vitamins and nutrients which promote good health.
Planting:
Goumis prefer a well-drained, sandy soil and full sun. They are hardy plants that don’t need a lot of water and can grow in almost any climate where the temperature doesn’t drop below freezing. They are often used as living fences because they are good at controlling the movement of animals.
They grow slowly and live for many years, making them an excellent choice for a permanent hedge.
You can start goumis from seed, but they are slow growing plants and it takes up to three years for them to flower. They are easiest to grow from a three-inch pot that contains an established plant. If you are planting several trees or hedges, they are sometimes available as plugs.
You can also obtain plants by dividing an existing hedge. This involves digging a portion of the hedge and separating the root ball into individual plants. This should only be attempted by people who know what they are doing because the roots of these plants have a tendency to entwine themselves around one another very tightly.
It doesn’t really matter where you plant goumis, just as long as they have room to grow and are placed in well-drained soil. They can be grown in rows or clumps and they look nice planted among rocks or at the edge of a pond.
Caring For Goumis
These plants are extremely tolerant of adverse conditions. They don’t need a lot of water and are able to survive in dry areas for long periods of time. They grow slowly and reach full maturity in five to seven years.
They flower during the spring and produce a large number of seeds, which are often spread by birds. The seeds can remain dormant in the soil for many years, sprouting when the conditions are right.
Goumis grow well in most types of soil, but they prefer a neutral to alkaline pH. They are exceptionally tolerant of dry conditions, but do not tolerate standing water. These plants have a low growth habit and do not usually exceed six feet in height.
The leaves are small, oval-shaped and usually not more than two inches long. They are dark green in color and the stems are sturdy, branching near the top and often bear thorns. The flowers are small and pink in color. The fruit is a small, round nut that ripens in the fall.
Goumis are usually pest and disease free, but they can be attacked by various types of caterpillars and leaf rollers. These pests can be controlled by introducing green June beetles, which also feed on the leaves.
Harvesting And Preserving Goumi Berries
You can begin harvesting the berries as soon as they turn pink in early fall. Gather the berries every other day to ensure that the plants continue producing. Spread a blanket on the ground underneath the plant and shake it to get all of the berries down.
Use a five gallon bucket or large bowl to gather them, then use a stick or your hands to knock the berries off and into the container. Gently pour the container onto a tarp spread out in front of you and proceed to separate the berries from the branches.
You don’t have to pick the berries at all and can just leave them on the plant for the birds, if you want to. They will be perfectly good for eating even if they aren’t quite ripe and have a tart flavor.
These berries will keep for a very long time if you dry them. Spread them out in a single layer on screens and leave them in a well-ventilated place until they are completely dry. Put them in airtight containers, storing them in a cool, dark place.
They will keep like this for up to ten years.
You can also make preserves, jellies, syrups, or other types of foods with the berries, if you prefer.
Goumi berry tea is very good for you and can help with a variety of medical conditions, including lowering your blood pressure, reducing your cholesterol, relieving diarrhea, and fighting cancer. It can also relieve the pain of arthritis and lower fevers.
The dried berries can be used as a coffee substitute.
These berries are good for you, but remember that they are still berries and quite high in sugar. Therefore, you should limit your consumption to one cup per day. Pregnant women should not eat any at all.
Most people will not have any negative side effects from eating goumi berries, but some people may have an allergic reaction. If you are allergic to other berries, you may have a reaction to goumi berries. Symptoms of an allergic reaction can include itching, hives, swelling, and trouble breathing. If you suspect that you are having a reaction to goumi berries, seek medical attention immediately.
Goumis are extremely nutritious, and the dried berries can be stored for up to ten years. They’re easy to grow and can even thrive in dry or rocky soil. The berries are good for you and have many health benefits.
They can be eaten fresh or dried, or turned into a variety of different recipes.
Goumis are a tasty, nutritious, and easily grown food crop that can thrive in dry soil. If you have access to the plant, you should try planting some of the seeds. You may be very pleased with the results.
You can also try planting the seeds in a pot or directly in your garden, but keep in mind that they will take more than 1 year to grow. Since they are very hardy, they should be able to grow just about anywhere.
Goumis are very hearty plants that do not require much to grow. They can thrive in dry, rocky soil and are very tolerant of drought and other adverse conditions. The plants themselves are also fairly attractive with white or purple flowers.
While they do give small berries, the plants are more ornamental than their berries.
Goumis are one of the easiest plants to grow in North America. They are small shrubs that can be grown in almost any area and produce a large number of berries each year. These berries can be eaten fresh or dried and used in food recipes.
They are also very good for you and have many health benefits.
Eating too many of them will give you diarrhea. You can also grind the dried berries into a powder and use them as a natural dye.
There are no major side effects. If you eat too many of the berries, you may get diarrhea, but this rarely happens.
There really aren’t any precautions other than those you should always practice when eating anything. Don’t eat too many of them.
Eating a few fresh goumi berries a day is good for your health. Drying the berries and using them as a powder is also beneficial, but it is not as healthy as eating the berries fresh.
It will take about 4 to 6 hours for the berries to fully dry. Stir them a few times while they are drying so they dry evenly.
You can store your berries in any airtight container in a cool, dry place. If you used gelatin, you can also store the dried berries in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Dried goumis can be used in a variety of recipes or consumed as is. Depending on how you dried them, you may need to grind the dried berries into a powder before using them in recipes.
You can also use goumi berry juice as an ingredient when making wine.
Goumi berry wine is known to be a natural remedy for many types of internal parasites. It can also help relieve the pain and itching from bug bites. If you have eczema, the wine can help relieve the symptoms.
A single bottle of goumi berry wine contains about 12.5 ounces (0.35 liters) of goumi berry juice, which will cost you about $4.00 (if you buy it online).
Making your own wine is not only great for your health, but can also be good for your wallet!
Making goumi berry wine is a fairly simple process. Here is everything you need to know:
You will need 1 gallon (4 liters) of goumi berry juice, 1 packet of wine yeast, 1 3-pound (.5 kg) box of sugar, 1 large pot, and 1 airlock & bung combo.
You can get all of these ingredients online, along with a fermentation lock (which is also called an airlock). You will want to keep the container sealed while the alcohol is being produced, but you don’t want the container to build up pressure while exposing the alcohol to the air. This airlock allows gases to escape while not letting any oxygen inside.
Before you do anything else, you will want to wash all of your equipment using hot water. You will also need to sanitize everything; in other words, make sure that all of the equipment is clean and free from any sort of bacteria or wild yeast.
First, put on a pot of water and let it come to a boil. While you are waiting for it to boil, put the 1 3-pound (.5 kg) box of sugar into a large bowl.
CAUTION: Sugar is very hot! Make sure that you use a bowl that can handle the heat.
Pour the sugar into the large pot of boiling water and stir until all of the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat, let it cool down, and then add the goumi berry juice and the packet of wine yeast. Using a spoon, continuously stir the mixture for about 5 minutes.
You will need to sanitize everything that comes into contact with the mixture: the container, the spoon, your hands, etc.
Stick a thermometer into the pot of liquid, making sure that does not touch the bottom of the pot. You need to keep track of the temperature. Different yeasts work better in different temperatures.
Your thermometer should have come with instructions on what temperatures work best with your yeast.
CAUTION:Thermometers also get hot! Make sure that you don’t let it touch the bottom of the pot or you could burn yourself. Also, make sure that you don’t let the thermometer touch anything other than the inside of the pot.
Let the mixture cool until it reaches the temperature shown in the instructions for your yeast. Once this temperature has been reached, you can add it to your sanitized containers (always following proper safety procedures).
Leave the container somewhere dark and cool (like a cellar or basement) for one week. One week later, you should have yourself some tasty goumi berry wine!
You can drink it whenever you want, but if you let it age for at least one year (or more) then it will taste much better. Enjoy!
Now that you know how to make goumi berry wine, what will you do with all of that extra money?
Maybe you will buy yourself some new clothes, or a new book to read. You could even take your family out to dinner at a fancy restaurant.
CAUTION: If you get a rush of energy after drinking this, then it probably means that you are allergic to alcohol. Make sure to drink in moderation so that you do not end up with alcohol poisoning.
Beer-Making
Making beer is a very simple process and can be done by anyone. You will need the following ingredients:
Water (2 gal)
Ingredients to add flavor (1 can)
Barley (1 lb)
Hops (3 oz)
Yeast (1 pkt)
You will also need the following equipment:
Pot (at least 3 gal)
Glass jars (4 gal, can be washed out beer bottles)
Measuring cup
Stirring spoon
Large spoon
Clean towel (or paper towels)
Cool place (fridge or basement)
Second pot with boiling water (to sanitize equipment)
Thermometer (if you want to be fancy)
Get a large pot (at least 3 gal) and add 2 gallons of water. If you are adding flavoring, do that now. Otherwise your beer will not taste very good.
Add the cans of flavoring (these are usually labeled) to the pot and stir. This can be anything from raspberry, apple, grape, orange, pineapple, and even cola! Add 1 lb of barley to the mixture. Set the pot onto the stove and turn the heat on to high. Leave it on high for an hour and don’t forget to stir it.
CAUTION: The mixture will begin to bubble and some of it will pop up out of the pot. Make sure that you do not get any in your eyes!
Turn the heat off and let it cool down until it is a comfortable temperature (it should not be too hot or too cold). Add 3 oz of hops (if you are using fresh hops, then use about 1/2 lb) into the mixture. Stir it in well and put a lid on the pot.
Let it sit for about 48 hours.
When the 48 hours are up, get a clean dry pot (or the pot you just used) that can hold at least a gallon of liquid. Begin to heat the mixture back up on high.
While the mixture is heating up, wash out your glass jars and leave them to dry upside down with paper towels in them. You can also use old beer bottles (just wash them out very well).
When the mixture is near boiling (but not quite), you can turn off the heat. The mixture should now be green!
Poor the mixture into the glass jars or bottles (make sure to let out as many bubbles as you can). Fill up the containers and put the lids on them. Allow the containers to cool upside down (the paper towel will soak up any extra moisture).
It will take about 2 weeks for the beer to taste how it is supposed to. You can drink it sooner, but it probably will not taste that good. You can drink it longer too, but it will start to get very sour (this is how they made beer back then).
If you refrigerate the beer, it will last much longer (6 months to a year).
You can make as much or as little beer as you would like and you can use any kind of flavoring that you would like. Some of the best beers are homemade!
Have fun and enjoy your beer!
Making Wine
Wine is another very simple drink to make. It does take a little longer than beer, but it can be just as easy or even easier to make. You can make red or white wine (or even rosé), though you may need to use special equipment to help prevent the color from getting too dark (this is because of the type of jars that are required).
The first step is to sterilize everything that will come into contact with the wine. Boil any jars or instruments for at least 10 minutes.
The next step is to make sure you have the correct ingredients and equipment.
You will need:
1 Gal. Container of Sugar Water
1 Can Fruit (Any Type)
2.5 tsp Yeast (Make Sure It’s Active Dry Yeast)
16 oz. Container of Red or White Grape Juice
1 Packet of Flavor (Any Type)
Sterilize everything that will come into contact with the wine and make sure you have clean hands!
Dissolve the yeast into the sugar water first. You want to make sure that this is done properly.
Make sure the container you are using has a lid and is clean. dump in the fruit, add the yeast mixture and then the grape juice and stir until everything is mixed together. Put the lid on and wrap the container in a blanket or towel to keep it warm.
Leave it like this for 48 hours (again, make sure it’s kept warm).
After 48 hours, it should be ready to drink.
This is one of the simplest wines you can make and it tastes delicious. You can even add more flavor by adding some fruit to the container before you start the first step.
Some of the best wines are the simplest!
I hope you all have fun trying to make these drinks! If you have any questions about the process, just ask!
I can also try to answer any other questions you may have about drinking or anything else!
Have fun responsible drinkers!
~Zach
Sources & references used in this article:
Gaia’s garden: a guide to home-scale permaculture by T Hemenway – 2009 – books.google.com
Victoria’s Urban Forest: A Walking Guide to Species of Interest by V Schaefer – 2014 – dspace.library.uvic.ca
Community orchards by GK Ames – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service …, 2013 – asdevelop.org
The Vegetable Gardener’s Guide to Permaculture: Creating an Edible Ecosystem by JH Dick, T Alpheus – 1918 – AT De La Mare Company …
DESIGNING ANedible LANDSCAPE IN IDAHO by C Shein – 2013 – books.google.com
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