A Day for Umbrellas

As you can see we have had some rain today. My Fuchsia's are still flowering mostly because we haven't had any frosts yet. The Berries are forming on the ones that have finished flowering.

It is not commonly known to people who are growing fuchsias in their gardens that they are growing berries. Usually people think of those dark squishy things as a menace and a mess in their yards. But they are actually very tasty berries that can be used in many ways, including salads, muffins, tarts, garnishes, jams, jellies, even pies (although you really have to collect a lot to make pie!), and the berries are also just great to pick and eat all by themselves. And the flowers are edible too.

All fuchsias produce berries, although some varieties have much better tasting fruit than others. The berries are produced as the flowers on the plants mature and fall off. What is left behind is either a round or elliptical-shaped berry. The berries can grow to almost an inch long on some hybrids and species fuchsias, or to just 1/2-inch on the miniature Encliandra-type fuchsias. Single-bloom fuchsias produce more fruit than double-bloom fuchsias. Fuchsia berries can taste very peppery to very sweet, almost like a kiwi. The berries of Fuchsia procumbens, the groundcover fuchsia, are my personal favorite; they get very large and are very sweet.

Late summer through fall is a good time to harvest fuchsia berries. Pick the berries when they are soft and squishy; test them by tasting them to make sure that they are sweet. Be sure to use them promptly, as they do not keep well and will go bad quickly once picked. If you need to save up large quantities of fruit for a pie or tart, freeze them immediately like any other berry. When harvesting the berries keep in mind that the dark fruit will stain clothes and fingers, so remember to dress accordingly!

For details on making Fuchsia Berry Jelly and Fuchsia Berry Jam.