A Northern Ontario farm family hopes a fruit that’s grown in almost every province in Canada but few Canadians have ever heard of, let alone tasted, will capture consumers’ imagination and tastebuds when they debut in stores later this summer.
The little-known haskap fruit, also known as blue honeysuckle, is an indigo-coloured berry that’s said to taste like a cross between blueberries, raspberries and Saskatoon berries, depending on which strain you eat.
“They are native to mostly the northern countries of the Northern Hemisphere,” said Justin Filion, a co-owner of the Valley Nursery Sod near Sudbury.
The plants are perfectly suited for colder climates, with some breeds being able to withstand temperatures of – 45 degrees Celsius.
The Filion family, who own and run the Valley Nursery Sod, decided to expand into something new four years ago.
"With the economy and farming, it was time to diversify into something else,” Ginette Filion told CTV Northern Ontario.
Despite their popularity in Europe and Asia, they’re still relatively unknown in Canada.
"I started here about three months ago, and I hadn't heard of [haskap] until I started,” said Braeden Nuets, a farm worker.
As the family continues to learn more about the fresh crop from researchers at the University of Saskatchewan, their haskap berries are set to be sold for the first time in two Sudbury-area stores.
The family also plans to make products out of the fruit, such as salad dressings and barbecue sauces, because the picking season is only two to three weeks long.
With files from CTV Northern Ontario’s Claude Sharma
