I’m no pro but here is what I have observed. They aren’t very sweet by themselves and have a bit of a bright flavor that finishes with a bitter/tanic flavor, they need to be very ripe to not have much. Ideally how ripe is essentially they fall off the shrub with a brush of the hand. Partly why I’m experimenting with them in jams this year is try to find something they shine at. They likely aren’t going to be your favored fresh eating table or dessert fruit. But I have acquired a bit of an appreciation for them even fresh, but it’s partly out of duty or “medicine”. I’m testing if they shine as a flavor that opens up when cooked and after adding sweetness in processing.

I made some jam a week or so that was a combination of 50% strawberry and 50% haskap, equal cups of sugar as fruit. Which was banging. This time around I was trying to isolate the haskaps to see if they what their solo flavor was. Right now I would have confidence to say they can be worked in with other berries for diversity, brightness, to take advantage of their incredible color, or ample pectin. Or you can use them solo if you add enough sugar and they would pair well with otherwise rich foods like cheesecake.

Fruit grows under the leaves so you either have to get down low or else pull back the branches to see them underneath. If the fruit doesn’t come off easily I’d let them ripen more. Fruit doesn’t ripen uniformly so you will pick over the same shrub multiple times. And will need to check daily. Care has been pretty easy I’ve done nothing to them since planting. They grow in the same beds as strawberries which I let run rampant. My plan was to let the strawberries burn out in that bed after a few years and by then the shrubs would be established. Its worked out well so far.