The jostabeer, also known as yokeberry, is a relatively new breed of blackcurrant and gooseberry. The bushes grow very large and sprawling, and they also bear plenty of fruit. The almost black berries taste sweet and sour, but are milder than their parent varieties. The josta berry also contains a lot of vitamin C.
What types of josta berries are there?
Answer: Popular Josta berry varieties are Josta, Jocheline, Jogranda, Jostine, Jonova and Rikö. They differ in growth size, fruit size, ripening time, robustness and taste of the berries. Early flowering and large varieties such as Josta and Jocheline are ideal for the garden.
Recommended varieties
The still quite young fruit species is already available in different varieties, which differ from each other in terms of the size of the plants and the size of the fruits. There are also varieties that bloom early and therefore ripen earlier. The berries do not ripen at the same time, which is why the harvest period extends from July to autumn.
The most important varieties at a glance
- Josta – The early-flowering shrub has its first ripe berries at the end of June. “Josta” grows tall and very spreading; the bushes need a distance of at least 2.50 meters. The rather sour tasting berries are also larger than other varieties.
- Jocheline – This jostaberry variety also blooms and ripens early. The fruits are dark purple to black and taste strongly of currants.
- Jogranda – This variety is comparatively small and is therefore also suitable for small gardens. But it has larger berries that ripen from the beginning of July. Jogranda is particularly robust.
- Jostine – In contrast, this variety of yokeberry grows very strong and sprawling. Its fruits ripen in early July, are very aromatic and medium-sized. They are dark purple to black in color.
- Jonova – The josta berry variety Jonova is also well suited for small gardens. It is not as vigorous as other varieties and bears wine-red to dark red, relatively large fruits from the beginning of July. In contrast to the other varieties, these ripen at almost the same time.
- Rikö – This is a very strong-growing, robust variety with relatively large, extremely aromatic and dark berries.
What can you make from josta berries?
Josta berries are ideal for direct raw consumption, but can also be easily cooked into jams, jellies and juices. They are also delicious as a compote, as a topping on cakes or tarts and raw in muesli or yoghurt. They also freeze well and last for about three to six months in the freezer. Josta berries can also be easily mixed with other berries, for example for a multi-fruit jam or a red fruit jelly.
Tips & Tricks
Try a fruity summer smoothie with all sorts of ingredients from your garden. You can wash, chop, mix and puree berries and other fruits and vegetables depending on your taste. Fill the fruit - about 250 grams - with about 200 ml of orange juice or water.