Haskap is poised to hit centre stage as the next offering from the University of Saskatchewan fruit breeding program. This fruit shows promise from the growing, harvesting, processing and marketing sides, and it has the potential to be grown organically.
Haskap is the name given to this small fruit by ancient people in Japan. Other names include edible honeysuckle, blue honeysuckle and honeyberry. The species is native to Russia, northern Japan and Canada.
The Canadian Prairies seem to be an ideal place to grow haskap. The hardier varieties are cold hardy to -45 C, and the open flowers can survive -7 C.
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In areas much warmer than Saskatchewan, the flowers may open unseasonably early, before the pollinators are out.
The flavour of haskap has been likened to blueberries, and the fruit looks like an elongated blueberry. Unlike the blueberry, haskap skins melt in the mouth. Seeds are tiny, so they, too, go unnoticed. Both these qualities make a superior processed product as well as enhanced fresh eating.
U of S fruit breeder Bob Bors has crossed the tastier Japanese varieties with the more winter hardy Russian varieties to develop a range of possible varieties.
Different selections vary in sweetness and juiciness. Ultimately, different cultivars may be preferred for fresh eating, drying, jam or wine.
The haskap program at the U of S is the only one in Canada and one of only two in North America, and it is still in the early stages.
Four varieties were released to give producers something with which to experiment. The fruit from these varieties is being used to develop new products such as ice cream, gelato, pie filling, sundae topping, salad dressing, vinegar and wine. Fruit development is progressing with product development.
New varieties have recently been developed. Borealis has the best flavour, but its fruit is delicate. This may be a good choice for the U-pick market and for home gardens.
Tundra also has good flavour but has a more attractive shape and is sturdier. It may be better suited for the quick frozen market.
Newer and better varieties are in the pipeline to be released in the near future.
Haskap bushes are best planted in the fall and may yield fruit in the first year after planting. They mature quickly, and by the third or fourth year may be producing four to six kilograms of fruit per bush.
Bushes grow to roughly 1.5 metres tall and do not sucker. Plants have few insect or disease problems, so can easily be grown organically. Fruit shakes off the bushes, allowing for mechanical harvest.
Several issues remain. Rick Sawatsky of the U of S fruit team warns “there’s a lot we just don’t know yet.”
The most established bushes in the program are less than a decade old. Some selections are only now coming into their first production.
Researchers are working with producers to further the reach of this meagerly funded program and to bring varieties to producers as quickly as possible.
Research has uncovered a number of risk factors. With haskap, two or more unrelated varieties must be planted together to ensure
pollination.
It is advised that plantings be surrounded by shelterbelts because haskap branches tend to be brittle and can be damaged by wind.
Birds such as waxwings love haskap. Producers with small holdings are advised to use bird netting over bushes when the fruit appears. In larger plantings, an earlier flowering variety planted as a trap crop may attract birds away from the main crop.
Mildew has been seen on plants in late summer. Fruit production is over by this time and plants are generally dormant when the disease appears. Only some of the plants in the breeding program have shown mildew so it may be possible to breed mildew resistance into new varieties.
People in Japan have long valued the medicinal effects of haskap, with one juice product marketed as the “golden remedy for eternal youth and longevity.”
Modern reports suggest haskap has beneficial effects on blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disease and even malaria. The fruits are high in vitamin C and antioxidants.
Linda Matthews, part of the U of S fruit team, oversaw an antioxidant study of haskap. She said the berries were high in anthocyanins, “as good as blueberries and blueberries are the market king.”
A sizable market exists for haskap. Although the fruit is highly valued in Japan, its traditional growing areas are being reduced by population growth.
The U of S fruit team is working with the University of Hokkaido and with buyers in Japan. The flavour and health benefits of this unique fruit suggest that a significant new market may also be found closer to home.
Hopefully, this new product will arrive at our local markets in the near future.
For more information, see www.haskap.ca/index.htm.
Frick is the prairie co-ordinator for the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada located at the University of Saskatchewan. She can be reached at 306-966-4975, at brenda.frick@usask.ca, or .
