At the end of the summer in 2023 I purchased a couple of Honeyberry plants (variety ‘Aurora) – or Lonicera caerulea edulis if you want the horticultural Latin. Over the next couple of years I had a grand harvest of about 30g of the dark blue berries in total, which was a bit disappointing. I’m not sure if birds took a fancy or the fruit dropped of its own accord in periods I wasn’t paying enough attention. However, I’ve had about 300g off it this year – not the most abundant fruit bushes on my plot but enough to do something with.
Some sites describe it as having sweet berries with a honey aftertaste. Perhaps that is from a different variety? Mine are quite sour although, after something sour, the brain often creates an illusion of sweetness. I think the RHS is more correct, describing it as having ‘edible’ berries. I’ve largely been washing them and then freezing them in batches on a baking sheet – individually frozen fruits don’t clump together like a tub frozen together would. I think I’ll probably aim to make a jar of jam out of these – if I can balance the tartness with sugar, I think it should be delicious. Perhaps I’ll reserve a few to steep in gin or vodka though to make an experimental liqueur. Next year, assuming the yield goes up as the bushes increase in size (one is still smaller and lower yielding than the one that has come into its own), I should be able to do both.