Harvesting sea buckthorn without bloodshed: This is how it works

Harvesting sea buckthorn without bloodshed: This is how it works
Harvesting sea buckthorn without bloodshed: This is how it works

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Harvesting the sea buckthorn berries is a tough task for those who don't know how to proceed. In contrast to most other berries, which are simply picked from the bush, sea buckthorn berries should find their way into the kitchen or into the mouth differently

Picking sea buckthorn
Picking sea buckthorn

What is the best way to pick sea buckthorn berries?

In order to pick sea buckthorn berries without injury or contamination, you should cut off the branches with fruit at harvest time and either dry or freeze them at home. You can then scrape the berries with a fork.

Bloody hands, torn clothes and smudges

If you pick the sea buckthorn berries from the bush with your bare hands when they are ripe, you can be prepared for many disadvantages:

  • The berries may burst due to their ripeness.
  • The juice is lost when it bursts.
  • The hands are injured by the thorns.
  • Clothes can be torn by the thorns.
  • The berry juice can get on clothes and stain them.

And this works better

Many gardeners have recognized the disadvantages and have developed a solution to circumvent them. The industry is also following this and does not let its employees pick the berries with their bare hands

Here's how it works: At harvest time, cut off the branches that bear fruit with secateurs (€14.00 on Amazon). Now you have the option of drying the branches and berries at home or freezing them and then stripping off the berries or stripping the fresh berries off the branches with a fork.

Varieties whose fruits are good for picking

There are sea buckthorn varieties that are still suitable for picking and do not have to undergo the harvesting method already mentioned. At least they don't have the burst berries. These include the varieties:

  • Dorana
  • Orange Energy

The berries of these varieties are firmer compared to those of other varieties and are less likely to burst when picked by hand. They also have longer fruit stalks from which the berries come off easily.

Tips & Tricks

Don't pick the berries too late. As they become more ripe or overripe - between winter and spring - the fruits fade and lose their taste.