With Ted Smith
Four or five years ago in this column I wrote an introductory article about a fruit that was fairly new on the scene and that seemed poised to make a splash. At the time I had already been growing haskaps myself for a few years and was completely sold on them. Despite the promise, they were not quick to catch on and the past few years have seen a slow but steady rise in popularity. This year, for some inexplicable reason, haskaps seem to have really caught the attention and imagination of local growers. I have never had so many people ask me questions about haskaps, nor have I had this many people all looking for starter plants at the same time. Since haskaps seem to be finally really picking up momentum, and since I’m getting a lot of questions lately, I think it’s time for a quick haskap refresher.
Haskaps are circumpolar in origin with varieties being found in temperate countries right around the Northern Hemisphere. Russia, Japan and Canada are three countries that have notable wild populations. For some reason, wild haskaps never really caught on as an edible in Canada but both the Russians and Japanese have enjoyed them for a very long time. Haskaps are actually a blue fruited honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea) and so are also often referred to as honeyberries. Swamp fly honeysuckle is the common name for the native Canadian variety. The Japanese term for haskaps is loosely translated as “many fruits on the branch” or “many gifts on the branch.” The Russians refer to it as “the fruit of longevity.” Like most northern honeysuckles, haskaps are incredibly cold tolerant. In fact, haskaps require a cold environment to be happy and do not do well in southern plantings. Haskap bushes have been found to survive temperatures approaching -50°C while the flowers can open extremely early in spring and remain unharmed after enduring temperatures of -7°C. Fortunately for haskaps, native bumble bees are quite willing pollinators in cold wet conditions and they seem to really savour haskap flowers. Haskaps flower so early that the fruit ripens before even strawberries which have been long regarded as the traditional “first fruit” of the year. Haskap berries are odd looking things. Deep blue on the outside and crimson purple on the inside, haskap berries closely mimic blueberries in colour. The shape is where things go a little off the tracks. Each haskap variety has subtle differences in fruit shape but they are all elongated. Some have odd and hard to describe folds and wrinkles but where haskaps are easy to describe is in the nutrition department. Haskap berries are considered to be nutritional superfruits. While this term is often over-used, in this case it quite clearly applies. Haskaps contain up to three times the antioxidants of blueberries and higher Vitamin C levels than oranges. For a fruit, haskaps are also exceptionally high in Calcium, Phosphorous, Potassium and Vitamin A. In Russia the juice of haskaps was long used as a staple in the diet of astronauts who were in need of the very highest quality nutrition available. A recent scientific study cited in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry pointed to the role of haskaps in preventing several illnesses including diabetes and cancer.
The flavour of haskaps is more of an enigma. Because of their colour they are often compared to blueberries. I don’t taste the similarity. Other foodies claim hints of raspberry and pomegranate because of the tart acidity. Again, I disagree. The flavour of haskaps to me is quite unique. Despite the honeyberry moniker, haskaps are not sweet. They are actually quite tart but in a pleasant way. The true depth of a haskap’s appeal becomes apparent when they are juiced or cooked. The flavours then become deep, rich and complex. You simply have to find some and try them for yourself.
And if you’re going to do that, then why not take that extra step and grow your own? Haskaps are one of the easiest and most trouble free fruit there is for northern gardens. They are tolerant of a wide range of soils including Manitoulin’s lovely alkaline clays. They are equally at home on acidic sandy soils. Few diseases are a problem for haskaps with leaf mildew being the worst. This can cause full leaf drop after the berry harvest but seems to be uncommon. There are also no real pests of note although you will find the occasional caterpillar chewing on a couple of leaves. The birds do seem to enjoy haskap berries but have never been a large problem for the Gypsy Family Farm crop. Deer also never bother the shrubs. The only issue most growers will have with haskaps is being patient while waiting for the shrubs to mature. It could take up to six years to get a full harvest from a mature two meter shrub. They will slowly start much earlier though so don’t let this scare you off. One important note is that two varieties of haskap are required for pollination as they are not self fertile. What are you waiting for?!?
