Hops Shoots

[sfish]

Did anyone see this on MSN today. Hops shoots one of the most expensive foods # 6. For all the growers here does anyone sell shoots?

http://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddri...orlds-most-expensive-foods/ss-BBhE9Al#image=6

 

[ong]

I've cooked with them before, after pruning, but wasn't hugely impressed.

 

[neilpcraven]

It used to be common in the south of England for people to munch on these - plenty of wild hops around. Now, with all the heavily managed land and industrialised agriculture I don't suppose there are as many.

 

[Homercidal]

I've tried them and they are not very good. I ate them raw, and I tried cooking them in some butter. Tasted hairy and when you swallowed it was like swallowing a hairball. I just couldn't get the things soft enough to swallow. Could be I didn't eat them young enough, I don't know.

 

[B-Hoppy]

Homer, if you mulch them really heavy with like 10 inches of mulch, you'll have 10 inches of chlorotic, tender shoots. Once they poke through and see the sunlight they begin to get tough and 'hairy' as you say. Hoppy Trails~

 

[Homercidal]

Homer, if you mulch them really heavy with like 10 inches of mulch, you'll have 10 inches of chlorotic, tender shoots. Once they poke through and see the sunlight they begin to get tough and 'hairy' as you say. Hoppy Trails~

Interesting! I did not mind the flavor at all, just couldn't get past the hair. normally I work through that sort of thing, but the payoff is normally worth it.

I really wanted to get a good layer of mulch on the beds this past fall, but fell short. in actuality I didn't even get a chance to clean the beds up at all. I'll have some maintenance to do this spring!

 

[B-Hoppy]

It's still not too late. Before the snow's all melted you can just pile a bunch of leaves, straw or whatever you can find on top of them to create the desired effect. Actually, an idea just popped! You could place on of those leaf bag support things around the crown and fill it up with the mulch material. This way you can channel all the new growth upward and simply remove the support and mulch when you see the growing tips starting to peak through. Just a thought.

 

[Homercidal]

I hope we get a melt early this year, but so far it's not in sight. I just have to figure out the best stuff to mulch with and get some in time to use it. I'd like to figure out how to grow them so they are edible. I get a lot of extra shoots and I'd like to try pickling them along with sauteed like asparagus.

 

[GVH_Dan]

Like Bob said, you've got to catch them when they are still white. Once they start turning purple its too late. I always steam them like asparagus. I've tried pickling them but I'm not very good at pickling much of anything.

One of our brewer customers with a brewpub comes out an gets a bunch every spring to offer a hop shoot risotto. We don't charge him outrageous prices because we need to cut them off anyway and he does a lot of the hard work of sorting through them for the best. Plus he brings beer.

 

[B-Hoppy]

I'd keep an eye on that brewer. If he sorts out and keeps the best shoots for himself, he may be doing that with his beer also . . .?

 

[sfish]

Homercidal,

For mulch you can use 12 in or so of straw to keep the shoots white, then removing the straw is easy.

sfish

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

interesting THING TO FEED THE VEEGANS!

 

[sfish]

Halifaxhops,

Will you be selling rhizomes this season? I purchased some from you last year. They were doing ok, untill my son weeded the garden while I was on vacation.

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

Yes I will again this year . PM me a list and hopefully the end of Mar early April I will have some.
Ray

 

[Homercidal]

Halifaxhops,

Will you be selling rhizomes this season? I purchased some from you last year. They were doing ok, untill my son weeded the garden while I was on vacation.

I wouldn't be surprised to see new shoots coming up this spring. Hops are generally pretty hardy except for certain bugs and some mildews.

 

[sfish]

thanks ~ I might see someting I will see. He did a good job weeding.