Thanks to the cinners who joined in last week's Flavor of The Week discussion about cinnamon flavors.
As always, the purpose of this thread is to gather the community to explore a flavor and its many uses. And it's also to have FUN!
Post recipes containing this week's Flavor of the Week, as the star or in a supporting role, with or without development notes. Talk about other people's recipes that use it. Compare and contrast different manufacturers' versions of the FOTW. Ask for help using that flavor in general or to achieve something specific, offer advice, brainstorm ideas, consider substitutions, suggest pairings... really anything at all as long as it's on topic.
This week's flavor is: Oddball Berries
And what does that even mean? It means berries aren't commonly used enough to have their own flavor of the week. We covered Bilberry with blueberries, and we had a whole week for mixed berry concentrates like CAP Harvest and FA Forest, but what about Huckleberry, Boysenberry, Lingonberry, Saskatoon, Acai, Goji, etc? Now it's their turn.
Past FOTW posts can be found here
Prepare yourselves, next week's flavor of the week will be: Shisha.... INW Shisha everything. How to use them, when to use them, best recipes with shisha flavors.
The week after that will be: Dulce de Leche
The week after that will be: Grape
The week after that will be: Oats/Grains
The week after that will be: Frostings/Icings
The week after that will be: Waffles
The week after that will be: Bubblegum
The week after that will be: Melon
The week after that will be: Florals
The week after that will be: Blue Raspberry
The week after that will be: Soda/Pop/Cola/Coke
The week after that will be: Amaretto
The week after that will be: Slushy (courtesy of /u/Tiptup300: Slushy in general. A thick crushed ice drink. Includes Red Slushy, Blue Slushy as in Blue Raspberry, Coke Slushy, Frappes. Snow Cones.)
The week after that will be: Stones
The week after that will be: Marshmallow
The week after that will be: Jackfruit
The week after that will be: Champagne
The week after that will be: Aromatic Tobaccos
The week after that will be: Non-aromatic Tobaccos
The week after that will be: Tobacco Additives
The week after that will be: Butter
The week after that will be: Banana
The week after that will be: Pandoro
The week after that will be: Pumpkin
The week after that will be: Pancakes
The week after that will be: Pie Crust
The week after that will be: Plantain
The week after that will be: Almond
The week after that will be: Apple
The week after that will be: ??? You tell me. Please take this opportunity to suggest one that interests you (or send me a PM to do that).
Fun facts: The scientific usage of the term "berry" differs from common usage. In scientific terminology, a berry is a fruit produced from the ovary of a single flower in which the outer layer of the ovary wall develops into an edible fleshy portion (pericarp). The definition includes many fruits that are not commonly known as berries, such as grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants (aubergines) and bananas. Fruits excluded by the botanical definition include strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, which are aggregate fruits. A plant bearing berries is said to be bacciferous or baccate.
Very interesting. Have you noticed that the culinary science usage (the most useful usage IMO for mixing) of fruit and other food terms often seems to generally fall somewhere between the scientific and common usages?
It's really sort of a free for all when it comes to each usage of food terms between the three. Culinary being a sort that tends to fall under operational convenience for us as mixers, because culinary terms tend to lean closer to a flavor description/process which produces unique flavor, etc, etc.
Another interesting fact.
Tomatoes/Eggplant/Potatoes and tobacco are all related to the nightshade family of plants. Which includes Belladonna. Also known as deadly nightshade.
They all contain Solanine the same compound that makes Belladonna so deadly.
Though the levels are so minute it's like being worried about cyanide levels in Apple seeds.
Edit. I love that educational material is down voted.
Just recently got Acai so I don't have a ton of experience with it but it's very good so far. Got mine from TFA. It's tastes like the Acai found in juices, which is what I wanted. I wanted to replicate a flavor similar to a V8 drink I had but in gummy form.
1.5% TFA Acai Berry
0.5% CAP Jelly Candy
1% FA Pomegranate
0.5% CAP Vanilla Whipped Cream
Good right away.
CAP Jelly Candy + VWC is an interesting combo. You might have just given me an idea, TY.
Lol. I wanted to have the type of gummy with the white part.. if that makes sense.
Anyone frustrated with Huckleberry being strong as hell even at recommended percentages? Try it at 0.3% I feel like it's the only level it works
When I first started mixing years ago I got a bottle of it. I mixed it at a very conservative percentage of 4%. The results were as you would expect; it was the very definition of floral. You've never had floral until you've vaped it at 4%.
it's insanely potent and often dominates a mix using conventional layering. I've not had a fun time using it lately.
Flv boysenberry is delicious after a 1 week steep. Dark, syrupy, blackberry-esque goodness. Try it at 1 to maybe 2%. By the by, as a shake and vape I didn't like it. It tasted just like a blackberry shisha I smoked back in the day, too herbal. Give it a steep before you vape it. I like it in a custard I made, very thick and dark. Not so much a summer fruit for me though, but a good wintertime fruit to get away from those butterscotches and dark bakeries and tobacco's. Speaking of which, I haven't used this with a tobacco, but I think it would mix well with a grassy tobacco due to that herbal thing it has going on. Fruity tobacco's aren't my thing, but I would recommend starting at .5% with a tobacco like 7leaves or maybe flv Kentucky blend. Have fun with it!
Also seems like it might be good for lending a jammy quality to other fruits at 0.5% or less.
Anyone try JF boysenberry ? It's only 0.99 cents on ecx. Maybe there's a reason it's so cheap?
https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/comments/5jlogw/jf_boysenberry/
It doesn't sound terrible but that they're trying to get rid of the existing stock so I wouldn't get too attached to it.
I'd like to submit a boysenberry recipe for your perusal. This will be my first ever post, besides in the "new DIY'ers" thread and it's the 3rd juice I've ever made. I have been lurking quite a bit and reading just about every thing I can about percentages and what makes a good vape, which I think has helped me. Anyway, I love Boysenberry, always have since going to Knott's Berry Farm as a kid, where everything is Boysenberry. I wanted to make something that tastes like boysenberry syrup over ice cream.
Mind you, I just made this tonight, so I haven't had a chance to steep it yet, but I think it's pretty tasty, but will definitely be better with some steep time. It's pretty floral right now, but not overwhelming. I added the pear because I love pear, but I also thought it might bring out the boysenberry a bit. On the inhale, there is a pronounced vanilla custardy boysenberry taste, and a very sweet floral boysenberry exhale. I've never made a custard style recipe (or vaped one) before, but from what I've seen, these percentages look about right.
Anyway, my first recipe:
Vanilla Custard (CAP) 3%
Bavarian Cream (TFA) 3%
Meringue (FA) 2%
Boysenberry (TFA) 1.5%
Pear (INW) 1%
DX Marshmallow (TFA) 0.5%