Showing posts with label grow your own vegetables. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grow your own vegetables. Show all posts

Sunday, April 12, 2026

Strawberries or Blueberries? Pineberry or Pink Lemonade? Let’s Decide

Life is full of difficult decisions.  Especially when it comes to gardening choices.  Tomatoes or peppers?  Herbs or flowers?  Raised beds or containers? 'But choosing between berries? YUM! What a delicious dilemma. πŸ“πŸ«

As if it isn't hard enough to choose between growing strawberries or blueberries. Would you believe there are these two exquisitely delicious variations of these fruits, and you have to choose?  (Or not. 😊)

White Carolina Pineberry Plant VS 
Pink Lemonade Blueberry Plant.

Let's Discuss and Decide.


πŸ“White Carolina Pineberry Plant

If you are a gardener and you like strawberries, then you might like to try planting the White Carolina Pineberry plant. It tastes like pineapple and strawberry TOGETHER! If you can imagine that.

A pineberry looks like a strawberry that forgot to blush — white flesh, red seeds, and a flavor often described as strawberry meets pineapple. Some say exotic, some say unusual, and some people describe it as weird. But nobody ever calls it boring.

PROs:

  • Works anywhere a regular strawberry works — including dipped in chocolate.

  • A berry that tastes like pineapple and strawberry? Showing off? That's right!

  • Your garden instantly becomes a conversation piece.

  • Featured by natural health enthusiasts as a nutrient-rich fruit. (Natural Medicine)

  • A fun gift for gardeners who like trying unusual plants.


CONs:

  • If you believe all strawberries should be red, this one will challenge your worldview.

  • Pineberries can be a little fussier than standard strawberries, so it's not for beginners.   

Pineberry plant
Fumikas Sagisavas, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

🫐 Pink Lemonade Blueberry Plant

Do you like lemonade? I do. What I like about lemonade is that you can vary the recipe and make it even better by adding another fruit. Do you like blueberries? Well then, there is no reason why you wouldn’t love the Pink Lemonade Blueberry plant. The berries ripen to a rosy pink and taste sweet-tart, like a blueberry with a citrus wink.

PROs:
  • For people who always wanted blueberries to be PINK
  • Surprisingly beginner-friendly — perfect for newbie gardeners.   
  • People might be impressed if they saw them in your garden
  • Works in all your blueberry recipes (including blueberry pancakes)  
 
CONs:
  • Any fruit claiming to be a blueberry “relative” should be BLUE.  (O.o)  What?  It's not blue!!
Stark Bro's. “Pink Lemonade Blueberry - Check Out This Popular Plant.” YouTube, 23 Mar. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwV9ituZoMU&t=5s.



* Want to learn more? Specialty Produce is a huge online resource for fruits, vegetables, and rare edible plants. Their site offers detailed profiles—flavor, history, seasonality, and storage tips—making it a favorite for gardeners, chefs, and anyone who loves discovering unique ingredients.


♦  White Carolina Pineberry Plant



♦  Pink Lemonade Blueberry Plant




Thursday, August 19, 2021

Veggie Spotlight: Scallions

Do you see the image below? What do you call these veggies? Scallions? Green onions? Spring onions?

I am confused because some say scallions are not the same as spring onions. Yet the chefs on TV call them green onions or spring onions ... they call them everything but scallions. Have you noticed that?


The first time I tried them was in a salad. A friend took me to a salad bar at a restaurant. I couldn't believe how those little green and white bits and pieces completely changed the flavor of the salad! Then I went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered the won ton soup with my meal. They had a bowl of chopped scallion on the table, with a bowl of crispy fried noodles and some other garnishes. I didn't know what to do, so I just took a spoonful of the scallions and the crispy noodles and sprinkled it in the soup. It was fantastic! First food experiences can be so wonderful!

But back to the questions.
Scallions? Green onions? Spring onions?

Of course, I decided to ask the experts. :)
Here is one answer.


  • "Green onions and scallions are actually the same thing!"
  • "Spring onions, on the other hand, look similar to scallions, but you’ll notice that they have small onion bulbs at the base."

Well whatever they are called, I love them! They add a wonderful layer of flavor to a green salad. I also love them chopped and sprinkled on top of a soup made with a clear broth, like won ton soup.

They are super easy to grow. I only mention this because they may not be cheap where you live. At our local grocery store we can get a bunch for about 35 cents. However, a friend in Europe says they are not cheap. But it's OK because they're easy to grow.
I don't really know many recipes that list them as an ingredient during the cooking. Most of the time, people sprinkle them on the dish after the cooking is done. I'm still learning how to use the scallion as it was not a common cooking ingredient in my mom's dishes.

Anybody else love this flavorful member of the onion family?


Friday, July 23, 2021

Foodie Friday : Purple is the Color of Royalty and of Glorious Vegetables

Purple veggies are not only tasty additions and enhancements to your meal –  but they also make for a lovely garden which when harvested yields multiple benefits and rewards.


Thinking of starting a vegetable garden? Why not start with the color purple? Bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, and carrots all come in purple!

Happy gardening! :)






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