Haskap variety 4 of 11
Happy Giant
Get to know this variety and where it fits in the usual ripening order at Camerise St-Gabriel.
Usual ripening order at our orchard: 4 of 11
Five quick facts
- Usual period
- Early season
- Flavour
- Sometimes slightly bitter in our tastings
- Texture
- Still being documented
- Best use
- Comparative tasting at the orchard
- Picking
- Best picking stage to confirm each season
A nursery describes large, elongated berries. Published descriptions disagree about their flavour.
One supplier calls it sweet with a little tartness; a 2021 catalogue lists it as tart. We do not assign a definitive flavour profile without local tasting.
It follows Berry Blue in our usual order. Its flavour can be compared on site once the team confirms the berries are ready.
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.
- The berries observed at our orchard are large and look rounder, with a shape that can resemble a large blueberry.
- In our tastings, we sometimes notice slight bitterness. We are continuing to observe whether it relates mainly to the cultivar, ripeness, weather, or growing conditions.
Published descriptions and background
Origin and identity
Happy Giant is associated with the Berries Unlimited selections. Descriptions call it a long berry, sometimes compared with a small zeppelin. The word “Giant” does not establish its average weight.
Taste and texture
Sources disagree: a newer listing calls it sweet with a hint of tartness, while the 2021 Berries Unlimited catalogue lists it as tart. We prefer to let tasting our ripe berries settle the question.
Fruit and picking
In our order, Happy Giant comes after Berry Blue and before Aurora. Its length may catch the eye, but we do not have a reliable trial showing it is especially easy for pick-your-own visitors or children.
Fresh or prepared
Before recommending it specifically for fresh eating or processing, we want to describe its flavour at full ripeness more accurately. A berry’s taste can change during its harvest window.
What we will continue to observe here
Observation priority: taste at different stages, average weight from a sample of berries, and picking ease at our orchard.
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.