I wanted to grow hops but didn't know they had so many uses. That's even more reason to grow them! I wanna learn how to make hop chocolate and hop mac n cheese.
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I wanted to grow hops but didn't know they had so many uses. That's even more reason to grow them! I wanna learn how to make hop chocolate and hop mac n cheese.
And all those uses are just for the hop cones harvested in the fall. I use the new shoots of the hops in the springtime, too. They are worth growing, just for that. I'll post more on that, too, pretty soon.
If you like the taste of beer with a higher hop level, like an India Pale Ale, you will like the taste of other things made with hops. Once you get used to that level of bitterness in food, it's hard to go back. But so few foods today are bitter. Breeders have focused on making our produce more and more sweet. So we have to get that bitter taste in other ways, like hops and some of the wild plants.
What region do you live in? Hops are pretty flexible in what they can handle, but I know they can't live everywhere.
Can they live in southern CA? Not sure I like bitter but I'll give it a try.
I think they would do pretty well there. Here in Oregon's Willamette Valley, we don't get much rain in the summer and they still do well. They will do better in deep soil, but they really aren't very particular about whether the soil is more on the acidic or alkaline side. They appreciate water, but don't like standing water, and they can do well without it. I can send you a root, if you remind me know in late February or early March.
Sweet, thank you! I will try to remember. :)