What are Haskap Berries?
The Haskap Berry (Lonicera caerulea) is a member of the honeysuckle family and is sometimes referred to as the Blue Honeysuckle though it has to be said the shrub bears no resemblance to the honey suckle creeper found in Australian gardens.
It is known as the Haskappu Berry in Japan, Haskaps in Canada, Camerise in Quebec and Honey Berry in North America.
The name Haskappu means ‘’little presents on the end of branches” because they’re regarded as being delightful to eat – and are quite unlike any other fruit or berry. The taste is somewhere between a raspberry and a blueberry with a hint of black currant.
You will see from the image below that their shape can be somewhat unorthodox ranging from these with a blunt end somewhat like a gum nut to long narrow curved ones, to those that are oval much like a miniature football.
A unique feature of them is that the bluish-purple colour extends through the fruit - even the juice is this colour - unlike a Blueberry, which has bluish purple skin, but the juice is opaque.
Blossoms are always in pairs
The shrubs are thornless.
These plants are exceptionally tolerant of frost conditions. Their favoured growing latitude is 42 to 52: a band in which Tasmania sits. They survive in temperatures down to minus 40deg C, having originated in Siberia and parts of Russia.
Fortunately, varieties have been developed enabling them to grow in warmer climates, but still not much warmer than what Tasmania and Victoria have to offer.
Also of interest, these berries are very high in vitamin C, potassium, phenolic compounds and other anti-oxidants. According to the University of Saskatchewan the antioxidant level is far higher than pomegranates, grapes, apples, blue berries - most other types of fruit and berries you can get while still being highly palatable. They freeze particularly well.
In addition to fresh fruit, they’re being used for making fruit wine (rated as the closest fruit wine to that of grapes), as well as for liqueurs, an additive to gin and superb for jams, sorbets, ice-cream, chocolate, marinades and fruit leather.
Haskap Sorbet has a brilliant colour
Scones with Gold medal winner Haskap compote
The wine made from this juice in Canada has constantly been winning wine taste-offs for fruit wines and one major grower, Le Havre, actually won a world fruit juice making competition with juice from their berries.
In Canada and America it has been strongly accepted by the restaurant industry for use in desserts and also for making marinades for meat dishes. It holds up particularly well with game meats.
Interestingly, a speaker at the conference we attended in Canada, said he believed the berry’s biggest future would be in the alcohol industry.
They are creating wines from the berry in Canada.
The liqueurs, are in our opinion, sensational. We met one grower who is supplying a major portion of his crop for liqueur making.
Makers of gin, are infusing their gin with them quite extensively.
One grower who we met with 40 acres in crop, had a massive harvesting machine running flat out and two refrigerated semi - trailer trucks on stand-by for taking the fruit to market.
Harvesting in operation
One grower in Moosejaw (classic Canadian name) sells their berries via ‘U pick’ and their produce via added value items such as jams and chutneys as well as having a small restaurant.
Interesting note: The fruit ripens earlier than other berry fruits making them a big hit with growers of other berries in Canada and the USA as it gives additional income, work not clashing with picking other fruit and an earlier start for the pickers.