Buffalo Berry mead

[billingsbrew]

I searched the forum and the only thing I found for Buffalo Berry mead was sometime back in August 2013 and most people reverted back to chokecherries. Has anyone ever used Buffalo berries in a mead before? I was looking at a website for making buffalo berry jelly and it said when you heated it, it had a foul odor and that it also had a large amount of pectin. I do not boil any of my meads perhaps the large amount of pectin would not be an issue. Any thoughts?

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Howdy, neighbour(?) -

I am pretty interested in seeing how this turns out. My grandmother in North Dakota would always make buffalo berry jelly and syrup, and I am a big fan of these largley-unknown berries.

As for the pectin content, I have no idea, but perhaps you can modify this recipe for Finnish Sima using buffalo berries:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/sima-finland-467664/

It might be as easy as replacing the lemon with biuffalo berries and the sugar with honey - then again, it might not be that simple. I'm no expert but I hope this helps.

Good luck, and please keep us updated!

Ron

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Don't know about buffalo berries, but almost if not all fruit create pectin haze when heated. Jam is made from pectin.

 

[billingsbrew]

Yes all fruit contain pectin, I wasn't worried about the pectin in the fruit just maybe how much. I asked another source today and he said about 2- pounds of fruit per gallon would be fine. There are maybe different names for this berry and that could be part of the problem talking about it. In Montana we call if buffalo berry and in some places it my be prierie Berry or something else. It has a single seed and a sharp thorn.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

They are also called bullberries; their range is primarily in Montana and the Dakotas, but there are patches in a few other places. Some more information, photo and a distribution map here:

http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/buffaloberries-aka-bull-berries_topic4195.html

 

[billingsbrew]

Thanks for all your information. The blanket picking idea was told to me yesterday by an older gentleman. Can't wait now to try these in a mead.

 

[fatbloke]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherdia

Given the description, sounds like they should be used like cranberries.

So maybe tailor a cranberry recipe ?

Have a look at Jack Kellers site and swap the berries and sugar........