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| Are sea buckthorn berries edible? |
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Walk along the main roads of my coastal town in the early autumn and you can't help but notice the huge clusters of bright orange-yellow berries glowing on the sea buckthorn - Hippophae rhamnoides wind breaks. Similar in effect to the distantly related pyracantha (thorns and all), the berries are largely ignored by the local bird populations. So as pyracantha are eaten by birds, yet can cause mild gastrointestinal problems in humans, does this mean that sea buckthorn berries should also be avoided? Are sea buckthorn berries edible?
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| Sea buckthorn - Hippophae rhamnoides |
Well it turns out that sea buckthorn berries are not only edible they are so nutritious that they could even be considered a superfood! The only problems are that when eaten fresh from the plant the berries tend to collapse when picked, and the juice within the fruits has a particularly acrid taste - hence its unpopularity with the local wildlife. That being said it is an acquired taste, which once you have moved past the wincing facial expressions, can be particularly cleansing to the palate.
Sea buckthorn berries have a very high vitamin C content, on average exceeding that of citrus fruits. They also contain high levels of vitamin E, flavonoids, carotenoids and phytosterols which help to reduce levels of LDL cholesterol. Surprisingly, sea buckthorn berries also include omega-3, omega-6, omega-7 and omega-9 fatty acids.
As mentioned previously, the berries can be eaten fresh from the plant but harvesting is best accomplished by running your fingers along a fruit laden branch squashing the berries into a suitable container. Sieve out any seeds leaves or other impurities before drinking. However if you really can't cope with the raw flavour then you can improve it by heating the juice with sugar to make a syrup.
Sea buckthorn berries can also be used to make a fruity wine, fermented for liquor or processed into jam. In parts of India the berries are used to make Buckthorn tea.
Main image credit - By Kirechko - Self-photographed, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3561519
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