Sweet Apple Cider: An American Tradition

Apple growing is an ancient practice amongst human beings, and we are talking biblical old. And, pressing apples for juice is equally ancient. Primitive man figured out pretty quick that the apple tree was a good source of sustenance...

Common Name: Sweet Sorghum
Scientific Name: Sorghum Bicolor

My introduction to sorghum syrup came about in a very roundabout way. I was living in Washington, DC. and converted four lots and two houses into an urban farm. As a result, I was always falling afoul of the law...

Common Name: Japanese Quince
Scientific Name: Chaenomeles Japonica

When most kids were watching TV, I was digging plants out of the woods. I first spotted the Japanese quince on one of my many unsupervised plant field trips.

Common Name: Muscadine Grapes
Scientific Name: Vitis Rotundifolia

The first time I ran into Muscadine grapes, I was visiting Fayetteville, North Carolina, and it was an accidental run in.

Common Name: Prickly Pear
Scientific Name: Opuntia Ficus-Indica

Ever eaten a prickly pear cactus? Maybe not. However, you have probably seen them at the grocery store.

Common Name: Jamaican Sorrel
Scientific Name: Hibiscus Sabdariffa

The first time I bumped into sorrel was in the deepest recesses of Orange Bay, Jamaica. The date was sometime in the winter of 1984. I had met a Jamaican healer at an open air market and ended up at her home...