11 Consider the Boysenberry
When I eat, I always choose the best of foods. I choose foods that are hydrating, nourishing, digestible, and pleasing to my tastebuds. And of all the foods, berries are among the very best. I find them fruiting in the wild and growing in my backyard garden. Fields of them are farmed, and they are available at most grocery stores. And of all the berries, the boysenberry is the newest addition to my garden. I am excited to learn about it.
The large, deep green leaves of the boysenberry bob in the wind today. They have seemed to have taken to my garden nicely. I can’t wait to watch as they grow, and grow, and flower, and fruit. New to me, I have a lot to learn about this plant. I know it’s a berry. It’s been hunted, gathered, and cultivated for years. I am thankful for this series as it it really pushing me to grow in knowledge of the plants I have chosen for the little plot of Earth that I call home.
Perhaps one of the newest berries on the market, this very large fruiting bramble is the work of Californian horticulturalist Rudolph Boysen who in 1920, was able to create a large blackish, redish blue berry by crossing the loganberry with the raspberry and the blackberry. Not having much success with this work, he passed the plant to farmer Knott who continued to cultivate it and popularized it with his Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Preserves and the Boysenberry Festival. This large, firm, and juicy fruit that tastes a lot like the blackberry or the raspberry or a combination of both, demands to be eaten right away. This fruit does not last long shelf. Because of this, we do not usually see it as a whole berry in stores today; however, this tangy sweet berry is used in juices, pies, tarts, jellies, and jams. Also, it is often freeze-dried and shipped around the world. In this way, I have used it in smoothies and smoothie bowls. When in season, you can find the boysenberry at fresh markets, and of course you can grow your own. Today it’s grown mostly in New Zealand and on the Pacific Coast in the United States from Southern California to Oregan but can be grown inn USDA zones 5 - 9.
Like all berries, the boysenberry is highly nutritious, and one of the best foods you can eat. They are notably high in vitamins C, K, and E. They also have significant amounts of calcium, iron, copper, potassium, manganese, fiber, and folate and are full of antioxidants.
This nutrient rich food has many health benefits. Studies show boysenberries to help the immune system and protects against chronic diseases. They improve vascular health by lowering blood pressure. These berries are good for your blood and your bones.
Of the rose family, the boysenberry blooms and fruits in late May into early July. This vining perennial produces large purply reddish black, juicy-sweet, edible fruits.
So if you haven’t already, stock up on those berries. Create a berry patch in your back yard and watch them grow. I love my berries! I love my berry patch! It is convenient, it is perennial, it is beautiful, it multiplies, it benefits the bees and it benefits me. It is good for the Earth to grow things, and it’s good for your body to eat the berries in large amounts - take them on a daily basis!
Works Cited:
“Boysenberry.” Britannica Online. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsebo&AN=ebo.e9016080&site=eds-live. Accessed 11 June 2021.
"Boysenberry." Cambridge World History of Food, edited by Kenneth F. Kiple, and Kriemhild Conee Ornelas, Cambridge University Press, 1st edition, 2000. Credo Reference, https://scsl.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=discus&url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/cupfood/boysenberry/0?institutionId=7268. Accessed 11 Jun. 2021.
Furuuchi, Ryo, et al. “Boysenberry Polyphenol Inhibits Endothelial Dysfunction and Improves Vascular Health.” PLoS ONE, no. 8, 2018. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgov&AN=edsgcl.550261752&site=eds-live.