Sea buckthorn is a unique plant. This is both a healthy food product and a medicine that can be used to treat everything from skin burns to heart disease. To forget what vitamin deficiency is, a person only needs to eat 100 g of this berry per day.

But, despite all the value of sea buckthorn, few people decide to pick the berries themselves. All because this the process is very labor intensive and requiring significant time investment. But this is only for those who do not know how to do it correctly.

From this article you will learn, What are the rules for collecting sea buckthorn?, as well as what devices can simplify this difficult work.

How to determine that it is possible to harvest sea buckthorn: ripening dates in the Moscow region, the Urals and Siberia

After ripening, sea buckthorn berries acquire an orange color. Moreover, they are planted so tightly on the branches that they resemble ears of corn.

This is what makes the harvesting process difficult. Therefore it is important to know When is the easiest time for berries to be picked?.

To correctly determine the timing of harvest, you need to immediately decide what you will do with the berries.

If you plan to eat fresh sea buckthorn, or make compote or jam from it, then it will be easier to remove the berries at the very beginning of ripening.

Despite the fact that ripe sea buckthorn will remain on the branches for a very long time, over time it will become softer. It is almost impossible to pick such a berry without damaging the delicate skin.

The beginning of ripening of the plant's fruits (in central Russia and the Moscow region, in the Urals and Siberia) occurs at the end of summer, the beginning of the autumn months. At this time, the berry has the highest concentration of vitamin C, and it is best to eat it fresh.

The timing of harvesting sea buckthorn depends on what you will do with the berry: oil or juice, compote or jam

If you are going to prepare sea buckthorn oil or juice, then it’s better to wait a few weeks and start collecting in mid-autumn. By this time, the berry will be well filled with juice, and you will get much more product from one tree.

As with all fruit plants, the timing of berry ripening cannot be strictly fixed. It all depends on weather conditions. If the spring thaw began early, then sea buckthorn may begin to ripen a couple of weeks ahead of schedule.

They spread polyethylene under the trees and begin to tap the trunk and large branches with a stick. Frozen berries fall to the ground, remaining intact.

You can apply this method without waiting for the winter period, just cut the berries along with small twigs and place them in the freezer at home for a day. When the berries freeze, you can easily separate them from the branches.

You can postpone the harvest of sea buckthorn until the winter: frozen berries are not damaged during harvesting

Picking off the berries along with the branches, extreme caution must be exercised. It is very easy to damage the tree if you break off branches rather than carefully cut them with pruning shears.

The sea buckthorn tree is usually covered with berries. But, when using this method Don't cut too many branches, otherwise, next year the plant may be left without a harvest.

This is not the only way to make harvesting sea buckthorn easier; there are quite a few of them. The complexity of this process forces people to be smart and invent unusual devices and tools to pick the berries.

Methods, devices, tools and devices that make it easier to pick berries from a branch

There are the following methods for harvesting sea buckthorn:

Picking berries by hand. The most simple method, but at the same time very labor-intensive and not always effective. The fact is that the soft skin easily comes off the stalk, the berry cracks, and the juice flows right into your hands.
Cutting berries with tongs or nail scissors. This method will keep the berries intact, but requires no less time than picking them by hand.
Cutting berries along with branches. This has already been discussed in more detail above. Not the most humane method in relation to the plant.
Extracting sea buckthorn juice directly from the tree. A rather original method, but if your goal is sea buckthorn juice, then it will greatly facilitate your work. Place the juice container under a tree branch and slowly run your hand along it from base to tip, crushing the berries as you do so. Thus, in an hour of labor you can get up to 4 liters of sea buckthorn juice.

There are several ways to harvest sea buckthorn by hand

If you collect sea buckthorn in large quantities, then manual methods will not suit you. You will need the following tools and equipment for picking berries:

Bring the top of the “tube” to the stalk and press lightly, the cut berry will smoothly roll into the bag along the tube

But harvesting is only half the battle.. It will be a shame if your work goes to waste and the berries cannot be preserved. Therefore, we will consider ways in which you can preserve berries for a long time.

An easy way to collect sea buckthorn:

The most beneficial fruits come from berries that have not been subjected to heat treatment. It is with these storage methods that we will begin.

It is important that it is dry; excess moisture will immediately provoke rotting processes.

Freezing. The washed berries should be placed in plastic bags and placed in the freezer. Thanks to quick freezing, the berry will retain maximum of its nutrients.

Sea buckthorn covered with sugar. The method also allows you to keep the berries fresh until spring. Sort out the sea buckthorn and place it on a towel to dry. Then mix the berries with sugar and place in sterilized jars.

The amount of sugar should be equal to the mass of berries. The product can only be stored in the refrigerator. It is very convenient to use for quickly preparing compote or fruit juice in winter.

Sea buckthorn can be stored in sugar and water, frozen or pureed.

pureed berry. Well-ripened, juicy fruits are best suited for this method. After collecting, sort out the sea buckthorn, rinse well and let it dry a little. Then mix with granulated sugar in equal proportions and pound with a wooden pestle.

You can also use a meat grinder or blender. Place the resulting mixture in jars, close with nylon lids and lower into the cellar, or put in the refrigerator.

Storing sea buckthorn in water. Not the most well-known method, nevertheless, quite effective. Pour cooled boiled water over fresh berries and place in the refrigerator.

Sea buckthorn juice is not only a storehouse of nutrients, but also a low-calorie product (52 kcal per 100 g). Preparing it is quite simple; to do this, pass the sea buckthorn through a juicer and pour it into jars.

Be sure to sterilize the jars. Place the rolled juice in the refrigerator or basement. If desired, you can add sugar, honey, or other berries and fruits to it.

Although high temperature will destroy some of the nutritional components, natural homemade sweets for tea will still be healthier than sweets and cookies from the store.

Nature has created many medicines for us., which not only delight us with their taste, but also heal our body. Sea buckthorn can easily be considered one of these natural gifts.

Now you should not be afraid of the difficulties of collecting this berry; in the coming season, you can safely go to the forest to stock up on useful products, and, using effective storage methods, prepare sea buckthorn for the whole year.

How to collect sea buckthorn from branches?

When summer comes to an end it is time to harvest. During this period, sea buckthorn also ripens. Everyone knows about the benefits of the orange berries of the tree, so at the beginning of autumn they make sea buckthorn preparations for the winter - compotes, jams, jellies, preserves, wine, etc. Harvesting this tree is not an easy task, but we will tell you how easy it is to harvest sea buckthorn.

If you decide to make sea buckthorn compote, you can start collecting at the end of August. It is at this time that the fruits contain ascorbic acid, which is beneficial for the body. But early sea buckthorn is not suitable for jam and preserves. You need to wait 2-3 weeks, let it overripe a little so that the berries become soft and easily separate from the stone.

Sea buckthorn juice is quite caustic. It has a bad effect on the skin and makes it dry. If it gets on your clothes, you are unlikely to be able to wash the stain off. That is why before harvesting you need to change into special clothes and also put on gloves so as not to harm the skin of your hands. The process of picking berries is very labor-intensive and painstaking. Gardeners have long come up with several ways to make it easier, let’s look at them in more detail:

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How to store sea buckthorn at home in the freezer in winter and recipes for delicious preparations

Sea buckthorn tops the list of the most healing and at the same time accessible to everyone berries. Its composition is unique in the amount of vitamins and minerals necessary for the normal functioning of the human body.

Already based on the name, one can assume that the harvest can be impressive; the berries stick to the branches of the tree, turning them bright orange. Every autumn, summer residents and gardeners are faced with the question of how to preserve sea buckthorn for the winter so that they can enjoy it on long cold evenings.

Bright “sunny” fruits, abundantly strewn with tree branches in autumn, are known as a powerful antitumor agent. Besides, sea buckthorn strengthens the immune system and effectively fights inflammatory processes, normalizes the functioning of the heart and gastrointestinal tract, has a calming effect.

The berry also helps with “female” problems; it is also included in drugs for the treatment of infertility.

Sea buckthorn – healer and cosmetologist. The oil from it has strong regenerating properties and has long been used both in official medicine and in the beauty industry.

Before you start collecting, you need to decide on how to use the medicinal berries. If you are going to eat the fruits fresh or make them in the form of compotes and jams, you should start preparing them in late August - early September, in the early stages of ripening. During this period, sea buckthorn is especially rich in vitamin C, and its skin is dense and will not be damaged during cooking.

Marmalade, jam, jelly or sea buckthorn honey do not require the integrity of the berries, but it is important that the fruits are soft and juicy, and they reach this state only by mid-autumn.

Collection begins from the top of a bush or tree, gradually moving down.

It is better to wear thick gloves on your hands to protect your skin from painful thorns., dotting the branches.

There are several popular methods for collecting sea buckthorn:

The fastest way is to cut off the branches along with the fruits and then put them in the freezer. After lying in the cold, the berries will be separated from the stalks much easier. Of course, the method is somewhat barbaric and does not have the best effect on the trees, but it allows you to make impressive reserves of medicinal raw materials in a short time.
It is much more delicate to pick berries by hand. To speed up the process, there are several devices, of which the so-called “cobra” is considered the most effective - a curved wire loop fixed in a wooden handle. The device is passed over the branch, as if “cleansing” it of a generous harvest.
By cutting the fruits with nail scissors or removing them with tongs, you can preserve their integrity as much as possible without damaging the tree itself, which will further increase fruiting. It takes a very long time to pick berries, so when the harvest is large, this method is hardly suitable.
Industrial method: after the first frost (approximately at the end of autumn - beginning of winter), a tarpaulin or polyethylene is spread under the trees, after which, hitting the trunk hard and often, the sea buckthorn is shaken off.
If you only need juice, carefully run a hand in a thick rubber glove along the branch, from the trunk to the end, while squeezing the liquid from the berries into a substitute container.

If the harvest of “golden berries” turns out to be quite abundant, it is best to keep some of it fresh.

If you have a cellar or other rooms with air temperatures from 0ºС to 4ºС, you can simply store sea buckthorn on branches, hanging them or laying them out in one layer on sheets of paper. From time to time, the branches are turned over and checked for spoiled berries. The product is thus stored for several months.

It is best to freeze sea buckthorn for the winter.

This way, the beneficial substances will be perfectly preserved, and there will be no need to perform complex culinary manipulations.

However, this seemingly simple method has its own secrets:

It is better to freeze berries within two hours after picking, then they will be most healing. The longer the picked fruits are exposed to light, the more actively the vitamins they contain are destroyed.
Before storing, the berries are sorted, cleaned of debris, rotten and unripe specimens and washed in a basin. It is not recommended to do this under running water, so as not to damage the delicate skin and prevent juice from leaking out.
The raw materials must be dried with a paper towel. Otherwise, the cold will cause the wet berries to stick together, and when thawed they may become deformed or burst.
The prepared raw materials are packaged in plastic bags or containers and subjected to quick freezing. It is better to divide the berries into small portions so that you can consume them at a time. Repeated freezing of sea buckthorn does not make sense - the benefits and appearance of the product are lost.

The prepared sea buckthorn is sprinkled with sugar in a 1:1 ratio.

Place the workpiece in glass jars and store in the refrigerator.

In winter, you can cook compotes from it, preferably with the addition of “bright” tasting fruits, or make cold drinks.

The berries must be freshly picked (not washed), placed in sterilized jars, filled with boiled water at room temperature and, covered with a plastic lid, stored in a cellar or refrigerator.

1 kg sea buckthorn
1 kg sugar

Fresh berries are sorted, carefully washed in a large container with water, and allowed to drain.
Place in an enamel pan and heat over low heat, without adding liquid, stirring constantly.
Bring the fruits to a boil and cook for 10 minutes until they become completely soft. Throughout the entire process, you need to stir the sea buckthorn, helping the bursting berries to actively release juice, as a result of which the contents of the pan do not burn.
Then transfer the hot mass into a nylon sieve with medium cells and quickly wipe.
Add sugar and stir well, without trying to achieve complete dissolution.
Next, the mass is left to cool and thicken for 7 – 10 hours.
The finished jelly is poured into sterilized jars, covered with plastic lids and stored at room temperature.

There are several recipes for this dessert. However, the most beautiful and aromatic jam is made with whole berries, which during the cooking process become transparent and resemble pieces of precious amber.

1 kg of ripe berries
1.5 kg sugar
0.5 liters of water

The sea buckthorn is washed, cleaned of spoiled berries and debris, and allowed to drain.
To remove the inherent bitterness of the fruits, they can be blanched for 3 to 5 minutes.
A thick syrup is made from water and sugar and filtered. The hot solution is poured over the berries and left to steep for 4 hours.
Next, the syrup is drained and boiled for 10 minutes, and then sea buckthorn is added and simmered over low heat until tender, about half an hour. It is not difficult to determine that the jam has reached the desired condition: the berries will become translucent, and the liquid will acquire a caramel consistency.
To finally make sure the dessert is ready, place a drop of cooled syrup on the saucer. If it does not spread, the jam can be removed from the heat.
The resulting product is poured into sterilized and thoroughly dried jars and quickly rolled up, not allowing it to cool.

Ingredients:

1 kg of ripe berries
0.8 kg sugar
200 g natural apple juice with pulp

The prepared berries are dipped into boiling water for several minutes, then cooled and rubbed through a fine-mesh sieve.
The resulting mass is mixed with sugar and allowed to cool for 2 hours.
The thickened puree is diluted with apple juice (preferably homemade) and cooked over low heat for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent boiling.
The finished jam is poured hot into pre-sterilized jars and pasteurized at a water temperature of 80ºC. Half-liter containers require 15 minutes of processing; liter containers will require 5 minutes more. Then the jars are rolled up and stored in a dark place.

This drink best preserves the valuable vitamins and minerals present in fresh berries.

Preparation will not take much time, but in winter you can treat yourself and your loved ones with a natural energy drink.

The raw materials are thoroughly washed, spoiled and dry berries and debris are removed.
Pass the fruits through the juicer several times. The juice is put in the cold, and the cake is poured with warm water so that it lightly covers the mass and left for about half an hour. Then squeeze and add the resulting infusion to the main juice.
All the resulting liquid is filtered through a double layer of gauze, heated to 75ºC and filtered hot again. Pour into pre-sterilized jars and pasteurize at 80ºC in the same way as indicated in the recipe for jam.

Sea buckthorn juice prepared according to this recipe is recommended to be consumed with honey, which greatly increases the benefits of the miraculous drink.

In winter cold and with spring vitamin deficiency, sea buckthorn is the best remedy for maintaining the health of the whole family, from small to large. It is worth paying attention to this amazing “golden berry”, which, moreover, does not require complex preparation methods and diversifies our table with many delicious delicacies.

In France, one of the most joyful gastronomic holidays is dedicated to them, respectfully calling it “Tuesday.”

Cooking outdoors, in the countryside. Kebabs.

This small shrub with yellow berries is famous for its beneficial properties. Its fruits contain a huge amount of biologically active components and vitamins. Sea buckthorn is used to make oil, make jam, and squeeze out juice. To preserve maximum beneficial properties, some housewives prefer to freeze fresh fruits. Sea buckthorn harvesting begins with the onset of the first frost. This must be done immediately, because gradually the berries become softer and are easy to crush in your hands.

When to collect sea buckthorn in the middle zone

Ripe sea buckthorn fruits have a rich orange color and are densely planted on the branches. In the middle zone, the shrub begins to ripen in the summer, at the end of August. Before picking ripe berries, you need to decide on the purpose of this process. Think about what you will use them for. The time when you start collecting them will depend on the method of using sea buckthorn berries.

If you intend to eat fresh berries or make compotes and jam from them, you need to pick them at the beginning of ripening - late August or the first days of September. During this period, sea buckthorn is filled with ascorbic acid and has a thick skin, which prevents damage during harvesting. To make marmalade, jam or butter, wait until mid-autumn, then the sea buckthorn will fill with juice and become softer.

How to properly collect and store sea buckthorn

Collecting sea buckthorn should begin from the top of the bush, gradually going down. Ripe fruits burst easily in your hands, splashing juice. To prevent your clothes from getting dirty, wear an apron or old clothes that you don't mind getting dirty. It is better to wear gloves on your hands - this will protect them from sea buckthorn thorns, which can leave numerous abrasions and wounds.

How to collect sea buckthorn:

Experienced gardeners use a special homemade device for harvesting, similar to a loop made of thin wire or rope. This loop is attached to the base of the branch and, with the help of a quick sharp movement of the hands, cuts off all the berries. Before using the loop, place a large container underneath where the sea buckthorn will fall. This collection method is especially convenient when berry clusters grow in a dense frame of branches and thorns.
A blade, knife, or small scissors are often used for harvesting. With their help, it is easy to cut ripe sea buckthorn, but this method requires significant time and labor.

Inventive summer residents use a comb to comb berries from bushes. However, this is not a very neat way of collecting. Thus, sea buckthorn fruits can be crushed under rough ridges.
Using a tin tube and a plastic bag, you can carefully remove all the berries from the tree without damaging them. The tube is attached to the bag, after which it is brought to the base of the berry, directed into the tube with a finger, and the sea buckthorn rolls down it, ending up in a bag.
The traditional method involves harvesting in late autumn or winter (at the onset of the first frost). A large blanket or piece of cellophane is spread under the bush, a strong stick is taken, and with the help of light frequent blows on the trunk and branches of the sea buckthorn, all the berries are shaken off. When the fruits fall, they are poured from the blanket into boxes or other storage containers.
What is the easiest way to collect sea buckthorn? If you want to transport the harvested crop from your dacha home, it is better to cut off whole branches with berries from the bush and place them in small boxes. This safe collection method will allow you to preserve the integrity of the sea buckthorn and transport it to your destination with less losses than if you had to transport ripe berries removed from the stalks.

Sea buckthorn storage conditions require the use of dark glass containers with a sealed lid. Containers should be kept in a dark, cool place, but not in the refrigerator. You can freeze the fruits of the plant. To do this, wash the sea buckthorn, dry it and place it in the freezer in one layer. After freezing, pack the fruits in vacuum bags or containers and put them in the freezer. Sea buckthorn is dried at temperatures up to 60 degrees. To do this, the berries are laid out on a baking sheet and placed in the oven, heated to the desired temperature.

Methods and devices for collecting sea buckthorn - video

For gardeners new to harvesting, the job may seem daunting. Short stalks and dense growths of thorns will become a serious test for unskilled hands. The thorns hurt the skin painfully, and the juice of the tender, easily bursting berries, penetrating into the wounds, stings unpleasantly and leaves irritation. Because the fruits grow on sea buckthorn branches in large clumps, picking each one individually can be a multi-day slog. Experienced gardeners use faster and less painful methods for this.

How to pick berries with a loop device

There are a huge number of different devices designed for collecting sea buckthorn. They are necessary to simplify and speed up the process. Gardeners often use simple combs with which they “comb” sea buckthorn into a prepared bag or sack, but more often they use a “cobra”. This tool is a thin steel wire attached to a wooden stick. By watching the YouTube video below, you will learn how to collect sea buckthorn using such a loop.

A quick way to pick ripe fruits using tongs

For those who have a lot of patience, the harvesting method using tongs is suitable, see the video below for more details. The advantage of this method is its accuracy in relation to the tree, which remains unharmed, and the berries, which do not lose their integrity. Manual work that is gentle on the bush has a positive effect on the volume of crop that will grow on the tree by next year. This method is used by gardeners who have few sea buckthorn bushes on their property.

Harvesting sea buckthorn, cutting branches with berries

Harvesting sea buckthorn is difficult; the tree reliably protects its harvest from those who want to feast on it. The branches of the bush are covered with sharp thorns, and the berries themselves are located under numerous branches, firmly attached to the stalks. The tenderness of the skin of sea buckthorn fruits complicates the work. This determines the desire of summer residents to protect themselves and the harvest during harvesting. They often trim the berries along with the branches using pruning shears or large scissors. From the video below you will learn how to do this correctly.

Compliance with the time of harvesting sea buckthorn is necessary not only to facilitate the process of labor-intensive work, but also to maximize the preservation of the beneficial substances that are inherent in this healing berry. In many ways, the timing of harvest depends on the variety being grown. For example, it is better to harvest early varieties in the first half of August.

Collection of sea buckthorn

But even here you should remember about the characteristics of different varieties. For example, harvesting sea buckthorn variety Chuisky is best done at the end of summer - in this case the plant will retain its most beneficial properties. Late varieties are harvested after September 15. Well, you need to remember about the weather conditions of the season and the plant growing zone. You should also pay attention to the appearance of the berries - they should be tight and easy to open. At this time, they contain the maximum amount of vitamin C. If you are going to cook, then the harvest time is approximately two weeks after the berries ripen. During this time, they will become softer, the vitamin content in the berries will decrease slightly, but the oil yield will increase.

Those who grow berries in the northern regions are also concerned about the question of when to collect sea buckthorn in Siberia or the Urals? And there are not many differences here - this is the period from August to September, depending on the variety. By the way, some gardeners recommend picking berries in the fall after the first frost. During this period, the sea buckthorn is already ripe, does not hold well on the branches, and therefore there will be no problems with collection - just place a tarpaulin under the tree and shake the branches. Now that you know when to pick sea buckthorn berries, you can move on to learning the simplest and easiest methods.

How can you harvest sea buckthorn correctly and quickly? The simplest option for harvesting is to carefully cut off the branches along with the fruits and then freeze them. Afterwards they are easily separated from the branches without losing their qualities. But this method also has a drawback - it is suitable only for those gardeners who plan to store sea buckthorn frozen, without intending to make jam or squeeze juice out of it.

Carefully trimming branches with fruits

In second place is the method of collecting using hands and tweezers - small scissors. This method allows you to carefully pick the berries without damaging them to eat. But there is also a minus - the collection process itself is very difficult and time-consuming. Other gardeners do it simply: they cut off the branches and just pick the berries at home. This method is quite good, but also has its drawbacks.

For example, it is quite easy to damage a tree by acting carelessly. The second disadvantage is that if the tree is simply covered with berries, you will have to cut off all the branches from the tree - you cannot do this, because such measures will lead to the death of the plant. And at the end of this method, it is worth saying that you will still have to carefully peel the berries - and this will also take quite a lot of time.

How can you collect sea buckthorn berries using homemade tools? There are a lot of additional tools that are used to make berry picking easier. So, in addition to combs used to “comb” sea buckthorn from a tree onto a tray placed below, knives are used. How can you easily harvest sea buckthorn? The most popular folk instrument is called the “cobra,” which requires a thin steel wire and a small piece of wood as a handle. We bend the wire, making a loop out of it, and then attach it to a wooden handle, threading it through the hole made in the piece of wood.

The top of the “cobra” should be curved so that it resembles the tip of a burning candle, and the side resembles a snake. Using this tool, you can quickly and conveniently cut berries from a tree, especially in hard-to-reach places. The second well-known device is the “tube”, which was also invented by folk craftsmen. To make it, you will need a blank from a tin can - make a tube out of it 10 cm long and with a diameter slightly larger than the fruits themselves. The tube is wrapped with electrical tape, slightly short of its edges, secured in a plastic bag. And then we proceed simply: bring the tin tube to the tree and press on the berries, which themselves will roll into the secured bag!

Device "Cobra" for picking berries

Advice: the harvested crop must be processed as quickly as possible so as not to lose precious juice.

This is why some gardeners don’t even wash their crops. If the bush in the area is a little dusty, it should be rinsed thoroughly with a hose and allowed to dry. And the next day you can start harvesting by choosing one of the methods we have given. How can you collect sea buckthorn juice and when should you start harvesting? In this case, everything is simple: place a convenient container under the branch with berries, and then with clean hands slowly move it down from the beginning of the branch, squeezing the berries so that the juice flows from them. With hard work, you can collect about 4 liters of healthy sea buckthorn juice in an hour. The best time for work is the end of August, when the berries are already ripe, but have not lost their beneficial properties.

Collecting sea buckthorn is a responsible undertaking; you should know not only what tools can be used, but also some additional nuances that will help you make your work easier.

To prevent an allergic reaction, as well as to protect clothes from juice, which is difficult to wash, be sure to wear gloves and an apron.
It is much more convenient to collect sea buckthorn from the crown from top to bottom.
If you are going to cut off all the branches, do it correctly, not forgetting about the need to take a break from work. This will minimize the damage caused to the tree during berry picking. It’s better not to use this method at all, so as not to ruin the sea buckthorn.

Now you know when you can quickly and easily collect sea buckthorn leaves and berries and what devices should be used to make it easier to perform rather complex work.

How to quickly collect sea buckthorn from branches? For this you need a special knife. The second way to collect sea buckthorn from branches is even simpler.

Pre-frozen berries separate quickly. In this video I show how I did it. In order to collect sea buckthorn from a tree, other devices are needed. It could be forceps. But the berry is choking.

Another device is a tube, or rather a cone made of thin tin. To do this, take a tin can like Coca Cola. They cut tin out of it. Roll it into a cone. Sharpen the end of the cone. And attach the bag to the wide part of the cone. In this way, you can collect sea buckthorn carefully, but this method is quite labor-intensive. The berry is cut off at the base and falls into a bag.

I prefer to first cut off the branches with berries and remove the leaves from the branches. In this form, the berries can be stored for a long time and can be processed slowly. It is best to harvest sea buckthorn after it is fully ripe - this is at the end of September or even at the beginning of October. At this time, the berry is not only ripe, but also large. Wild sea buckthorn is much more difficult to collect, and it is difficult to do it quickly. Cultivated sea buckthorn has berries that are three to four times larger, and work goes quickly.

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These are exercises for developing fine motor skills of the hands. Here is the method we used to collect wild sea buckthorn. A tray made of thin plywood is hung around your neck, and you wear long sleeves and gloves. And in your hands is a fork, bent from steel wire with a diameter of 4-5 mm, a length of 300-400 mm, with notches on the ends, on which, in a gentle version, a 0.5 mm fishing line is attached, or in a more rigid version, a steel strand from the cable (even cuts off the spines). The divergence of the ends of the fork is 100-120 mm. You approach the bush, place the tray under the sea buckthorn branch and hold it with one hand, with the other, using the fork, squeezing it and grabbing it with the resulting loop at the base, draw along the branch. All the berries, albeit together with the leaves, end up in the tray. Having filled it, you pour the berries into a plastic bag. There are very few berries choking. In 4-5 hours you actually pick 4-5 large buckets of wild berries. And then you can sort it out with your hands, or you can do like me if you have the opportunity to dry this collection. I lived in Southern Kazakhstan and, having brought the loot, I simply dumped it on the canopy on the balcony. After 7-10 days, when the sheet had dried, I rubbed it lightly with my hands and simply poured it into a bathtub with water. The berry sank and the leaf floated up, slightly moved away from the berries remaining on it and was thrown out. And the berries from the bath - clean and washed, were ready for further processing. This collection and processing of berries has never been stressful or time-consuming. By the way, I also started by collecting small twigs (which was not welcomed by forest protection) and trimming the berries with small scissors.

Sea buckthorn is a valuable vitamin berry that grows almost throughout the entire territory of our country. It ripens closer to autumn, but, fortunately, does not require urgent harvesting. This can be done carefully and without haste.

When to collect sea buckthorn: what determines the timing

The timing of sea buckthorn berries depends on both the variety and the climate of the region. In addition, the time when the crop is harvested depends on its purpose.

Purpose of berries

Sea buckthorn is a universal berry, and depending on what is going to be done with it, the harvest is harvested in a slightly unripe or completely ready state. For making jam or storing for fresh use, the berries are collected when they have not yet turned bright orange, but have a dark yellow color. At this moment, they have a hard skin that does not burst when collected, there is not much juice, it will not flow. This is usually observed at the very end of summer.

Most varieties of sea buckthorn go through the yellow berry stage, when they are already ripe, but have not yet softened.

If you want to extract juice or make sea buckthorn oil, you need to wait until the berries are completely ripe and soft. It will be more difficult to collect them, but the juice will contain more nutrients. This happens towards the end of September, and in some areas even towards the beginning of October.

Read also about what else you can plant at your dacha in the summer in our article -

If the berries have acquired a bright orange color, this means that they are already soft and have collected the maximum amount of juice.

weather condition

Sea buckthorn should be collected in dry weather. The berries stay on the branches for a long time and firmly, so there is no need to rush to pick them. Many gardeners specifically wait for frost, because after this the berries become tastier, and most importantly, their attachment to the branches weakens.

More precisely, after the first light frost, the berries become tasty, but still hold on firmly. At this time, the most productive branches can be cut off with pruning shears and the berries can be easily picked at home: moderate pruning does not harm the plant. And when severe frosts occur, frozen berries can be shaken onto a lined cloth and collected.

After frost, berries are quite easy to pick, but when exposed to heat they will soften, which must be taken into account in the future.

Growing region

Since sea buckthorn berries can be collected at any time, even in winter, there is no clear division of dates by region, especially since different varieties ripen at different times. If we talk only about the readiness of berries for picking, then the approximate time frame looks like this:

middle zone, including the Moscow region - late summer - early autumn;
Siberia, the Urals, the north of the European part of the Russian Federation - end of September;
southern regions: the berries can ripen at the end of July, there is no need to wait for frost here, they are collected as needed.

Harvesting sea buckthorn is difficult, so each gardener chooses the timing depending on the weather and the purpose of the harvest. The berries can be collected both at the end of summer and at the beginning of winter, and they practically do not spoil on the branches.