sea buckthorn

Hi everyone. We have planted a few sea buckthorn pants over the last couple of years and finally one has berries!! They're gorgeous--both the plants and the berries-- but i have a few questions for seasoned growers. First, what's the best time to harvest berries and second hope so you extract the goodness for something like salves? What do other people do with their sea buckthorn harvest? Thanks in advance!

Congrats on your new harvest Jess! I don't have answers to your questions, I'm just here to piggy back on your thread and ask one more question, do deer eat sea buckthorn? With or without thorns? I'm planting a few dozen in a field with lots of hungry deer.

I went to the tours they used to have at One Green World.  They talked about chopping the entire branch, freezing the whole thing, then picking off the berries so they don't squirt.  I would also try with tiny scissors and have them drop into a cup.  When they're ripe, picking them with your hands will make some of them squirt.

I liked them best in juice mixes.  They used to offer all kinds of blends. They were very good. They added sugar, but I wouldn't.

John S
PDX OR

A friend of mine gave me a bunch he'd picked, and i froze them on the branches as well. Very easy.

The main thing I did with them was to pulse them up in a blender, strain out the seeds, then blend with strawberries.

The main reason for cutting the branch is the thorns, they are seriously vicious and it is impossible to get at the berries without being stabbed.  I have seen one method of picking where you put on heavy rubber gloves, and run your hand down the branch squishing all the berries and pushing the juice into bucket you're holding under the bush.

As to deer, they do not bother them here the thorns are to much of a deterrent, they even eat the rosa rugosa first. Not much eats the berries either they are so sour even the birds avoid them until there is nothing else to eat, they can cling onto the bushes until past Christmas.

On holiday in Beaumaris, North Wales this year, I found a shop selling sea buckthorn flavour ice cream.  I don't know how much of it they sold because I should imagine 99% of their customers have no idea what it even is, let alone that it's edible!