Five things to know about the haskap berry

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This article was published 16/05/2016 (3736 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Here are five things to know about the haskap berry:

WHERE ARE THEY FROM: Dark blue haskap berries are native to Russia and northern Japan and are found in the wild in Canada. Because they grow on the edge of swamps during mosquito season, they are not well known in this country, says Bob Bors, head of the fruit program at the University of Saskatchewan.

EATING AND DRINKING: The taste is sweet with a hint of tartness and reminiscent of raspberries, blueberries and grapes. Try them fresh or in sauces to spoon into yogurt or over ice cream. They are also being made into juice, wine, liqueur, condiments and jams.

CANADIAN COLLECTION: Bors is known as “the father of the haskap” in Canada. He bred sweetness from haskaps grown in the Kuril Islands and width from fat, round berries from Hokkaido, along with length from long, skinny Russian berries. He then bred a plant that grows upright with even branches so berries can be harvested by machine, making large-scale commercial operations viable.

RIPENING: Unlike earlier varieties from Russia and Japan, Bors was able to breed plump berries that stay on the branch long enough to ripen evenly. They flower a month before the last frost and ripen several weeks before strawberries.

VARIETIES: Varieties bred by Bors include Aurora, Borealis, Tundra, Indigo series (Treat, Gem, Yum), and Honeybee. The newest series is the Boreal (Blizzard, Beauty, Beast), which are not available yet because they’re still being propagated.