Autumn Olive, or Autumnberry, is my new obsession. I must locate it! It is apparently an invasive species that was introduced at one point and was spread readily by birds and is definitely in New England. I know Ive seen it. I think it was at a horse farm in the Litchfield area. At our Pig Day celebration last December, Taylor Burt mentioned it during a foraging discussion, elderberry pie being on the dessert menu. He spoke so glowingly of the flavor that Im determined to locate some this year. I need to see a bush in person, so if you think you have one, please show it to me soon so I can get my Autumnberry eyes on! I promise I wont go back and take your berries in the fall! From my reading, these are quite prolific and in a good year, many, many pounds of berries can be quickly harvested from a single bush. They are low to the ground, something like elderberries, and easy to pick. This reminds me, the elderberry crop is going to be AMAZING again this year. The bushes are absolutely loaded with flowers right now, and there are more bushes out there than there were last year. Elderberries mixed with grapes, wild or domestic, are our favorite combination for pie, sauce to serve with chevre and chocolate cake, and to make wine with. And they are free. So back to Autumnberries....who has some that I can take a look at? Andy Billipp, David Forster, Carl Monty, Maggie Keegan Monty, John Coward, Eddy Farm......who else is good at plant identification? foragersharvest/autumnberry-autumn-olive/
Posted on: Wed, 02 Jul 2014 01:36:20 +0000