Haskap variety 7 of 11
Boreal Blizzard
Get to know this variety and where it fits in the usual ripening order at Camerise St-Gabriel.
Usual ripening order at our orchard: 7 of 11
Five quick facts
- Usual period
- Mid-season
- Flavour
- Sweet and tangy
- Texture
- Very large, fleshy berry
- Best use
- Fresh eating and U-pick
- Picking
- Twist or bend gently; do not pull straight
Large, fleshy berries with a sweet and tangy flavour in University of Saskatchewan breeding notes.
Breeding work highlights their size and firmness. Actual berry size varies with the season and ripeness.
Their size makes the berries easy to spot. Ask the team which rows are ready before you begin picking.
GROWN AND OBSERVED HERE
What we observe at Camerise St-Gabriel
These practical notes come from our own plants, harvests and visitor experience. They can vary with ripeness, weather and the season.
- Boreal Blizzard currently produces the largest berries observed at our orchard. We also enjoy their fresh flavour.
- The area around the stem can tear if the berry is pulled straight off. A gentle twist or slight bend usually helps it detach more cleanly.
- A small opening exposes the red flesh and can wrongly look like spoilage. For that reason, we do not favour Blizzard as a pre-picked fresh berry at the kiosk; it remains a rewarding pick-your-own berry when the proper technique is explained.
Published descriptions and background
Origin and identity
Boreal Blizzard was developed by the University of Saskatchewan as part of its Boreal series. It was selected for combining unusually large berries with good flavour, rather than size alone.
Taste and texture
The breeder compares its sweetness with Aurora, with a tangy note that makes the taste livelier. This description comes from breeding trials; the flavour of our harvest depends on ripeness.
Fruit and picking
Its berries are broad in the middle, narrower at both ends, and very fleshy. The university notes that their size makes them visible and may help pick-your-own visitors. That does not mean berries are ready as soon as they turn blue.
Fresh or prepared
It is an interesting variety to try fresh when comparing berry size and flavour. Handle the berries gently after picking, as with other small fruits; their large size does not make them indestructible.
What we will continue to observe here
To document at our orchard: the actual weight of our berries, their best-flavour window, and when overripe fruit begins to drop.
The ripening order comes from our orchard observations. Varieties may overlap, and weather changes timing, flavour and berry size. Published measurements come from other growing sites and do not indicate what can be picked today.
Sources and context
Published fruit descriptions come from the sources below; they are not measurements made at our orchard. The usual ripening position is our own observation.