Was trying some wild Autumn Olives today. Plenty of variety. One was sweet and not astringent but fruit was sparse. Maybe birds liked it. I’ll go back and try it again and maybe take cuttings if I’m sure I like it.
This red one looks great but the fruit was too astringent.
This orange one was sweet and only slightly astringent.
love that orange one…
I hope you saved seed
I may be a little late to the party, but here’s another observation regarding adstringency appart from the differences btween seedlings/cultivars. I have a huge 5m tall & 6m wide AO that I bought as a seedling. I like the taste enough to eat it raw by handfulls (should I mention I also like apple pettals and spruce shoots? 
- I feel the bitters and enjoy them). I also make jam out of these AOs and will try making thick ketchup this year. I keep about a 3rd on the bush and graze on them. What I’ve noticed is that the adstringency disappears as the temperatures drop closer to 0°C (just like in blackthorn or persimon). While I don’t miss it in persimons, I do in AO.
I have a yellow sweet cultivar bred by Lubera, but I like the seedling a but better. I’ve got some seeds from the yellow one germinating just now, so we’ll see…
Uhm, Can I get the GPS coordinates. I will trade you some AO wine when I make it. Im only about an hour away.
@tana, I wonder if freezing them after picking accomplishes the same.
Likely. But it also kills the texture. I’ve never tried, as I like them as they are.
This bounty would be going into wine maybe jam. Texture wouldnt matter.
