SASKATCHEWAN FEATURE: AUMACK HASKAP BERRY FARM

FAVOURTIE THINGS IN CANADA: Another Saskatchewan Gem!

What is a HASKAP?

It is also known as “Blue Honeysuckle, Honeyberry, Edible Honeysuckle and Sweetberry honeysuckles.”

Most people mistakenly group haskap as a new type of blueberry but haskap’s closest fruit relation is the tomato.

The fruit has a sweet tangy zing flavour that most people say is a cross between a blueberry, raspberry and black currant. The berries have extreme high levels of antioxidants – even higher than blueberries.

Because of its nutritional value, the Haskap berry has long been known by the ancient Japanese as ‘the fruit of Life longevity and Fruit of vision’. It is a fruit that holds a high nutritional value and tastes wonderfully sweet.

About Aumack Haskap Berry Ranch:

Our first Haskap berry seedlings were planted in 2008 and we currently have 1000 Haskaps. We have chosen the value-added approach by producing our own products such as spreads and syrups.

The Haskap berry is actually a hybrid resulting from the cross-pollination of the Japanese Haskap and the Russian honeysuckle. Its developers/researchers at the University of Saskatchewan, created a berry with the taste and nutritional characteristics of the Haskap and the hardiness of the Russian honeysuckle. The combination makes the Haskap ideally suited to western Canada.

No other fruit is like a Haskap. They have a unique flavour, colour and texture. Most people describe the flavour as sweet with a tangy kick. The skin melts in your mouth and the seeds are not noticeable. The colour of the juice is a decadent navy blue. The blooms can withstand -8C of frost and the fruit ripens about the same time as strawberries. Although we are not registered as organic, no chemical needs to be sprayed on the Haskap as no bug, worm or blight attacks the plant. The only problem we face is the cedar wax wings that invade our orchard once the berries begin to turn purple. Our Haskaps are netted at this point.

The increasing popularity of Haskap has been attributed to its nutritional makeup. A serving of 2/3 of a cup contains just 60 calories, 0.3 grams of fat, and no cholesterol or sodium. There are 14g of carbohydrates, 3 of which are fibre. As well, Haskap berries are high in Vitamins A and C, as well as other nutrients. The berries are also have high ORAC value and high levels of Anthocyanins, polyphenols and bioflavonoids, all different types of compounds known as anti-oxidants. The anti-oxidants are higher in Haskaps than blueberries. Because of its nutritional value, the Haskap berry has long been known by the ancient Japanese as "the Fruit of Life, Longevity and Vision". 

We are proud to offer this awesome innovative fruit that is truly Canadian here on Shoplift. Availalbe in: 

-Syrup, 250ml

-Spread, 250ml

These are on sale all week until Friday Feb 12 and we are expecting them to be out for delivery by the end of February!