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  • From: John Jourdan <jourdanj@foxinternet.com>
  • To: <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Honeyberry jam
  • Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2003 21:26:58 -0500

In 1996 I planted 2 honeyberry plants(lonicera edulis var. kamtschatica).
They had a difficult first summer but survived. In their 3rd and 4th year
they suffered from heavy deer damage until I enclosed them in fencing. They
are now growing very well. A year ago I had a good crop of berries but
failed to cover them from the birds. We still got plenty to try for fresh
eating and I wasn't very excited over them. They were a bit too tart for my
liking and they had a trace of the bitter aftertaste that their blue
honeysuckle parents are noted for.
This year I covered them with a net and harvested about 2 quarts per plant.
The Bluebird plant ripened first with the Berry Blue about a week behind.
I picked the last berries from the Berry Blue on the same day that I picked
my first quart of strawberries from my earliest variety.
We had decided to try them in jam this year. My wife Judy followed the
recipe from the Sure-Jell package for blackberry, boysenberry, & raspberry
jam. It calls for 5 cups crushed berries to 7 cups sugar and one package of
Sure-Jell. It takes about 4 pints of fresh berries to make 5 cups of
crushed berries.
We think the jam is excellent with a good balance of sweetness and tartness
and a very unique flavor reminding me a little of wild huckleberries.
Next year we plan to try other recipes some without Surejell and perhaps
some with honey. Also we will mix some with fresh strawberries and combine
some with blueberries(using frozen berries). I am also looking forward to
trying them in pies, cobblers, and other desserts.
If others have used these berries I would be interested in hearing their
opinions.

John (zone 4)




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