Reasons why honeysuckle is bitter and what to do if the berries are bitter

Honeysuckle is an early berry, ripening in May or early June. The fruits, despite all their positive qualities, in some cases have a bitter taste. This is due to several reasons. You will learn why honeysuckle is bitter from the article.

Possible reasons why honeysuckle is bitter

Unpleasant taste occurs for the following reasons: due to lack of moisture, unfavorable weather conditions, variety, etc.

Varietal feature

Many varieties of honeysuckle initially have a bitter taste. Nothing can correct this, because bitterness is a cultural feature.

Unfavorable growing conditions

If the variety is sweet, but the berries have a bitter aftertaste, then most often the cause is bad weather. When spring and summer are too rainy, bitterness appears in the berries. An unpleasant taste also occurs when the weather is too hot and dry.

Honeysuckle is a light-loving crop. But if the bush is planted in a place where it receives direct sunlight all day, this will also negatively affect the taste of the fruit.

Improper care

The culture loves moisture (although stagnation of water should not be allowed), so it is important to water it regularly. After watering, the soil is loosened and mulched.

If you do not follow these simple care rules, a slight bitterness will appear in the taste.

Is it possible to eat bitter berries?

All varieties of edible honeysuckle are suitable for consumption. Some people even like the bitter taste.Berries are allowed to be eaten almost without restrictions in the absence of allergies.

Reference. In folk medicine, bitter berries are most often used. It is believed that they help cope with problems of the digestive tract, normalize metabolism and lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients.

Which honeysuckle is healthier - bitter or sweet?

Varieties of honeysuckle practically do not differ in composition. Sweet and bitter berries are equally beneficial for the body.

What to do to prevent honeysuckle from becoming bitter

To prevent honeysuckle from becoming bitter, it is important to follow the care recommendations.

If the fruits still have a bitter taste, it is masked with sugar or other berries and fruits.

How to remove bitterness

The berries begin to taste bitter if the bush is not properly cared for. Even sweet varieties without fertilizing and watering will have an unpleasant aftertaste.

The harvested bitter crop is processed. The fruits are passed through a meat grinder and mixed with sugar in a ratio of 1:1.5. The resulting mass is either boiled to make jam, or sent to the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks. After this, the bitterness will not be felt.

Also, bitter berries are sent to the freezer. When exposed to low temperatures, they will lose most of their bitterness.

How to care for honeysuckle so it doesn't grow bitter

The key to getting sweet berries is regular and proper care. Although the plant is unpretentious, it does not tolerate complete indifference.

It is advisable to plant young seedlings in partial shade, since under natural conditions the crop grows near the forest. The plant does not tolerate exposure to direct sunlight. It is also important that groundwater lies deeper than 1.5 m.

Before and after flowering, the bushes are fertilized with organic matter.

Honeysuckle is pruned in early spring.Remove all damaged and frozen branches. It is also advisable to get rid of shoots growing inside the bush.

After the weather stabilizes, the plant is watered regularly. Watering frequency – 2 times a month. If the weather is dry, the bushes are watered every week. Then the tree trunk circle is mulched.

After the harvest has ripened, it is important not to rush into harvesting the fruits. The berries are left on the bush for another 2 days, because there is practically no bitterness in ripe honeysuckle. But it is important not to overexpose the fruits on the bush: when they become overripe, they begin to crumble.

In autumn, pruning is carried out again.

Is it possible to process honeysuckle with a bitter aftertaste?

Bitter berries are sent for processing. They are used to make preserves, jams, compotes, or simply ground with sugar for further use during the preparation of desserts.

In addition to sugar, sweet berries, such as strawberries or raspberries, are used to reduce bitterness.

Why is honeysuckle sour?

Scientists say that honeysuckle is practically not behind lemon in terms of ascorbic acid content. This causes the presence of sourness.

Different varieties have different levels of sour taste. But the berries also become sour if you make serious mistakes when growing:

1. Wrong landing site. It is important to choose a place so that the bush receives a sufficient amount of light, but at the same time it does not receive direct sunlight throughout the day. It is best to plant the crop in diffuse shade from tall trees.
2. Unsuitable soil. The crop is not very demanding on soil composition, but does not develop well on heavy soils with high acidity. The plant loses resistance to diseases and begins to form sour fruits.If the soil is not suitable, the bush is transplanted to a new location in early autumn. The planting hole is filled with a mixture of garden soil, humus, sawdust and mineral fertilizers. If the acidity of the soil is high, it is deoxidized using slaked lime.
3. Malnutrition. The amount of sugars in fruits greatly depends on the amount of nutrients that the bush received during flowering and fruiting. If you do not fertilize the crop, the berries will be tasteless.
4. Unripe berries. Some gardeners unknowingly harvest too early. In most cases, the berries ripen unevenly. First, the fruits located in the upper part of the bush become ripe. The rest arrive only after a few days.

The sweetest varieties that won't let you down

To minimize the likelihood of getting bitter berries, plant varieties in which the breeders initially provided for sweetness.

The sweetest varieties of honeysuckle:

• Bazhovskaya;
• The Giant's Daughter;
• Lapis lazuli;
• Dessert;
• Volkhova;
• Yugana;
• Delight;
• Swan;
• Blue spindle;
• Roxana;
• Silginka;
• Siberian.

Prevention

In order for honeysuckle to please the owner with good harvests, simple rules are followed:

1. The plant is not planted in an open and sunny area. Partial shade is best suited for the culture.
2. Maintain regular watering and fertilizing.
3. Pruning is carried out annually so that the bush does not thicken.
4. In order not to spoil the root system, avoid places with high groundwater levels.

Conclusion

To prevent the honeysuckle bush from starting to bear fruit with bitter berries, it is provided with proper care. To do this, it is important to choose a planting site and follow simple agrotechnical rules.

If the harvest turns out to be bitter, it is used to make jam and compotes.