What's the verdict on Honeyberries...are they tasty?

My auroras were huge this year! I took samples to friends, who found them sour. I like them right off the bush. Haven’t had enough to try baking with them yet, but expect them to be great there, too. I have numerous varieties, but auroras seem the best so far.

3 Likes

Honeyberries are starting to make it main stream. Theisens (an IA/WI Tractor Supply Company type store) had a bunch of varieties of Honeyberries in stock this year. I almost jumped on a few in the 50% off sale they had on nursery stock as they cleared out things, but I don’t have a place for them.

Don’t know if they will get them back next year, it looked like the whole display was still full of them around July 4… Probably few people know what they are.

1 Like

Yep, I found my honeybee on clearance at Lowe’s. I haven’t seen any there this year though.

1 Like

That flip looks awesome! Mind sharing the recipe? Ive got 8 cups of Aurora/Tundra in the fridge I need to do something with before they rot. Can only eat so many each morning on cerial.

1 Like

im always in TSC but havent sen them here yet. bought my montmorency cherry there last year on sale for $7.

1 Like

Sure, It is IowaJer aka Jerry’s recipe. He posted it here. I made it exactly the same.

2 Likes

We tried it with blueberries. Delicious and very easy to make. Thanks.

1 Like

Newbee here, I realize this is an old thread but I thought it was very relevant to some of the work I’ve been doing in the past year.

If anyone is interested, I made a Honeyberry mead in 2018 that just recently went on pour for the public as of Feb 15, 2019 at Schramm’s Mead in Ferndale, Michigan. I worked with Logie from Lovehoneyberry.com on selecting the fruit from a grower in Quebec, using mostly polish varieties and some Aurora. I think it makes for outstanding mead, personally.

In my opinion it’s an absolutely wonderful fruit, and I really can’t wait to see wider adoption in fruit markets. Couldn’t wait though- I bought some plants last year to start growing my own!

9 Likes

ill be happy when i get enough to just freeze some. mine haven’t been big producers so far but only 3 yrs. old and were small starts to begin with. my currants produced some fruit on year 2 and a lot by year 3. honey berries seem about a year or 2 behind them production.

2 Likes

How big have ya’lls bushes gotten? Are these bushes pretty slow growing or should i expect rapid growth at some point? Bunny ate mine so I’m not expecting much fruit this spring. I keep reading that they get big but mine seem to be slow growing.

2 Likes

my indigo gem/ treat were pretty slow to grow but i got them small and over fertilized them so really not there fault. my aurora was put in later and only given a little compost at planting and is bigger than the other 2. berries are bigger and better tasting. if i put another haskap in it will be another aurora. they are also self pollinating.

1 Like

Yes, I think Aurora is the best. Very vigorous, plus large berries.

1 Like

Were you at the Field day at Les Petite Fruits?.

I was! I went to the 2018 open last July. I’m hoping I can make it to the 2019 too since I’d like to actually plant a few rows of the fruit rather than just learn about it and taste it like I did last year.

We met there! Fun times in QB… The mead you shared there was life-changing good, I would LOVE to sample what can be created with honeyberries.

2 Likes

Honey Bee is my largest bush probably 3ft tall and 2.5 wide, I think its about 4 years old. I have cut it back a few times when taking cuttings etc. Also its in an area where it doesnt get great sunlight anymore, between 2 apple trees that have been growing faster than I expected…

1 Like

are honeyberries harvestable with a blueberry comb?

Actually, haskaps aren’t self pollinating:

aurora is partially self fertile but fruits better with another variety. i think its the only cultivar that is. thats why its recommended as a pollinator for so many other cultivars and is one of the biggest producers.

1 Like

i don’t think so as the berries are below the foliage.