Criminally Delicious

Is the Autumn Olive an invasive species or a forager’s dream? You collect. You cook. You decide.

by Carol Connare                                                                               

In my corner of Western Massachusetts, when Connecticut River hillsides blaze saffron, it’s time to forage for autumn olives. Laden with crimson silver-flecked berries Elaeagnus umbellata thrive along byways across New England. The tall silver-leafed shrub was originally imported from East Asia in the 1830s and planted along new roads to prevent erosion. Nowadays, it is classified as an invasive species, but before you judge, consider that the autumn olive, also called autumn berry, is a forager’s dream:

• Once you learn to identify it, you’ll see it everywhere.
  
• The harvesting season is long—mid-September through early November. You can pick past a light frost.
  
• Due to its cluster growth pattern, one can pick large volumes quickly—a single plant can produce more than 50,000 berries a year. In 30 minutes, two adults can easily collect a dozen quarts.
  
• Three cheers for heart health! Autumn berries (see below for a list of other names these berries answer to) pack up to 17 times the lycopene of a tomato.
  
• Autumn olives are versatile in the kitchen and freeze well for months. Think fruit leathers, crisps, sauces, and smoothies… and yes, even healthful margaritas!

Taste as you pick, harvesting berries
your tongue likes best.
Flavors range from very sweet
to very tart.

Botanically speaking, autumn olive is a shady character. It chokes out sun-seeking natives by throwing shade. Its ability to thrive in the poorest of soils and its popularity with birds who efficiently transport and fertilize its seeds make it a super spreader. Its rap sheet reads like a felon’s: It is illegal to import, propagate, or sell in all six New England states and wherever it grows, which is as far west as Wisconsin and south, to Virginia.

“When we find the species on public land, we call for its removal,” says Nancy Olmstead, plant biologist for Maine Natural Areas program. Pulling it up by the roots and poison are the preferred methods. She says the shrub can thrive where rare animal and plant species may grow such as open grasslands or blueberry plains. “We ask people to report them,” says Olmstead. Mapping tools exist in every state, all intent on the same goal: Location and eradication.

Olmstead and fellow naturalists are aware of the growing knowledge about the health benefits of the berry; for now, that doesn’t change its status at the state level. If more human beings harvest the berries ahead of the birds, could this help? “Removing the fruits can potentially slow the spread,” allows Olmstead, acknowledging that, “if people want to prevent additional damage in a cultivated setting, bird netting could be used once unripe fruits are present, after flowering.”

At the federal level, the attitude is not so dire. Food scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Fruit Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., discovered the berry’s potential health properties in 2001, which led to a multi-year study on autumn olives’ potential commercial benefits. “The best method for determining fruit ripeness is taste testing, or watching for birds feeding in the upper branches,” a 2005 USDA report noted. “Ripe fruit can be processed into a number of products including salsa, steak sauce, meat glaze, pie filling, ice cream topping, jams, and preserves.” The USDA successfully harvested high crop yields, and suggested rebranding the autumn olive as “autumnberry” to market its sweetness.

RECIPES

Autumn Olives are delicious by the raw handful, as a healthy snack. They can be used whole in such recipes as Autumn Olive Apple Crisp. To clean berries, rinse in cool water and drain. Pluck out stems and leaves. 

Apple Autumn Olive Crisp

For the filling:

• 8 apples, mixed varieties
• 2 cups whole Autumn Olives
• ¼ cup flour
• 3 Tablespoons sugar

Topping:

• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 12 Tablespoons butter
• 1 ½  cups oats (any kind)
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon (or more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg (more to taste)
• 1 cup walnuts

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Peel and slice apples into ½-inch chunks.Toss berries and apples to coat with flour and sugar; add dash of lime or lemon. Divide mixture evenly between two rectangular baking dishes (9x12ish)

In afood processor, pulse the flour, sugar, oats, walnuts and spices then add the butter pieces a few at a time until the mixture looks like clumps of sand. Spread the clumps evenly across the top of the fruit. Don’t worry if it doesn’t cover completely. 

Bake for 45-60 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

For the following recipes, first make a seed-free purée:

Autumn Olive Purée:

• 8-10 cups cleaned berries
• 1 cup water

Heat berries on medium high in large pot; bring mixture to as syrupy volcanic boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30-45 minutes. All will smell like stewed tomatoes, yet taste completely different (try it!) Let mixture cool slightly. While still warm, strain mixture through medium strainer, separating seeds and skin solids from pulp. Use pressure to extract as much puree as possible; yield 4-5 cups.

Autumn Olive IPA Sauce

• 2 cups purée
• 4 Tablespoons butter melted
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon four
• 8 ounces IPA

In saucepan heat 2 Tablespoons of butter and 1 Tablespoon olive oil and whisk with flour to make a roux. Add two cups of purée whisking smooth. Add remaining butter and olive oil. Add beer gradually to prevent boiling over. Continue whisking over medium heat until smooth.

Serving Suggestions: over pasta; drizzled on baked acorn squash, as a dressing for roasted duck or pork.

Orange Autumn Olive Smoothie

• 1 cup purée
• 1 cup yogurt
• ½ cup ice cubes
• ¼ cup orange juice
• Add 1 T of maple syrup for an extra sweet version.

Blend until smooth. Yield: 3 cups.

Merry Berry Margaritas

• 2 cups purée
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice and zest
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice and zest
• 1/3 cup clementine juice and zest
• 2 cups favorite tequila
• 1 cup simple syrup
• ¼ cup orange liqueur

Blend all ingredients. Serve over ice, and salt rim of glass if desired. Makes 6+ cups

Autumn Olive Fruit Leather

• 3 cups purée
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• dash lime

Heat oven to 170 degrees; 200 if that is your lowest setting Bring puree to boil and simmer five minutes. Line a 13×18-inch sheet pan (with sides) with parchment to slightly overlap edges. Dry in oven 4-6 hours, depending on temp. Fruit leather is done when slightly sticky to touch. Remove from oven and let set one hour. Roll fruit leather and parchment paper and cut into individual servings. Keeps in cool dry storage for up to one week.

aeagnus umbellata
The generic name is from the Greek elaia which means olive and agnos which is the name of a tree that has the same leaf shape (Vitus agnus-castus) in its native Eurasia. The species name is a diminutive form of the Latin umbella which means parasol and refers to the umbel configuration of the flowers, clustered at a central point with stems of equal length like spokes of an umbrella.

• Autumn Olive berries
• Autumnberries
• Aki Gumi
• Deer Fruit
• Asiatic Olleaster
• Japanese Silverberry
• Elaeagnus Umbellata