Tag Archives: svartrips

Autumn berries and fruit

As far as possible, I like to eat fresh fruit and berries from the garden, usually with muesli for breakfast. I’ve been self-sufficient for many years, mostly home grown but augmented with wild foraged bilberries / blåbær. From when the cellar stored apples are finished, usually in April to the first haskaps and strawberries are ready, we go over to rehydrated dried fruit. Currently these are the berries and fruit we are eating now in autumn as the first frosts threaten:
1. Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive;  Japansk sølvbusk) 
2. Rubus ‘Sonja’ (blackberry; bjørnebær) – the only blackberry cultivar I am aware of that is hardy enough for our climate, not freezing in winter. Productive with tasty berries too!
3. Ribes divaricatum “Worcesterberry” (Worcesterbær)
4. Ribes biebersteinii (Ribes petraeum var. biebersteinii) (black redcurrant; svartrips); isn’t truly black, more dark purple coloured; hang a long time on the bushes and don’t seem to be taken by thrushes (like blackcurrants)
5. Malus domestica (apple; epler) – eating the windfalls that won’t store long.

July berries

Various berries harvested late July at home in the Edible Garden and in the Væres Venner Community Garden. More information in the picture captions. These were either eaten fresh for breakfast with muesli or were made into mixed fruit leather!