Sea buckthorn fruit spread

Sea buckthorn fruit spread. Bright orange, intensely tart, made from strained sea buckthorn pulp.

Sea buckthorn fruit spread by FrüchteMeer is made by cooking sea buckthorn pulp, which accounts for 38 percent of the jar according to the ingredients list, and tastes distinctly tart. No sweet children's spread, no chunky jam, no sea buckthorn juice.

Sea buckthorn fruit spread is a fruit spread from the FrüchteMeer jam manufactory in Wankendorf, cooked from the strained pulp of sea buckthorn berries. The manufactory calls sea buckthorn the lemon of the north. The comparison holds true: the small orange berries are similarly tart to citrus fruits and just as aromatic. However, unlike lemons, sea buckthorn brings a fruity, almost tropical depth. In the jar, this becomes a smooth, bright spread that looks as fresh on breakfast bread as a glass of freshly squeezed juice.

Citrus-clear, fruity and with a slightly exotic aftertaste

The sea buckthorn fruit spread first tastes intensely tart, then fruity, with a slightly exotic aftertaste that brings to mind passion fruit or pineapple. The sweetness is present but takes a back seat to the fruit. The label aptly describes the variety as semi-sweet.

Because the pulp has been strained, the jar contains a homogeneous, velvety cream completely free of seeds. The color is a warm, rich orange that stands out vividly on light bread. For children accustomed to mild strawberry, sea buckthorn is usually not suitable. Anyone expecting a thick, chunky jam will also be disappointed.

A look at the nutritional table reveals a peculiarity: around 3 g of fat per 100 g. This does not come from an ingredient, but from the berry itself. Sea buckthorn pulp contains its own fruit oil, which contributes to the spread's full-bodied mouthfeel.

With quark, zander and panna cotta

Sea buckthorn develops best alongside dairy and fatty foods, which balance its tartness. Five practical suggestions:

• For breakfast, stir two tablespoons into 250 g of low-fat quark and sprinkle with roasted oats.
• Top panna cotta or semolina pudding with a spoonful of sea buckthorn; the tartness enhances the vanilla.
• For sea buckthorn butter, mix 30 g of soft butter with one teaspoon of spread and a pinch of salt, and serve over fried zander.
• Stir one tablespoon into the sauce for wood duck or pheasant.
• Serve with young goat cheese on whole-grain bread.

Similarly tart, but cooked from southern fruits, is the bitter orange spread. Another wild fruit from the manufactory is the rosehip spread.

For beginners: Start with a thin layer on buttered bread. The butter rounds off the tartness, and you get to know the aroma before it comes straight from the spoon. Those who generally avoid tartness are not well advised to try this variety.

When cooking with sea buckthorn, add it only at the end and do not heat it for long. This preserves the color and fruity aroma, and the sauce gets a fresh rather than a cooked tone.

A coastal plant, cooked between the seas

Sea buckthorn, botanically Hippophae rhamnoides, belongs to the broom family. It grows along the North and Baltic Sea coasts, likes sand, light and wind, and holds dunes together with its root system. The plant is dioecious: there are male and female bushes, and only the female ones bear berries. Anyone growing sea buckthorn therefore always needs both.

The harvest is labor-intensive. The berries sit close to the thorny branch and burst easily. For pulp, the fruit flesh is strained through a fine sieve, leaving the seeds and skin behind.

FrüchteMeer cooks this sea buckthorn in Holstein Switzerland, more precisely in Wankendorf, thus in the land between the two seas, on whose shores the plant is native. The family business was founded by Karsten Thiesen and Susanne Lucht-Thiesen in 1996. They combine traditional recipes with new ideas and pay close attention to how their raw materials are grown and processed.

For coastal lovers and everyone seeking freshness in the morning

What sets sea buckthorn apart from other fruit spreads is its tartness. It ensures that the taste remains fresh even with the second and third piece of bread. Especially at a long breakfast among sweet varieties, this is a real advantage. For many, the taste is also inextricably linked to vacation days on the North and Baltic Seas.

As a souvenir, the 210-g jar is suitable for Northern Lights fans or as a greeting from Schleswig-Holstein. In a gift basket with East Frisian tea or smoked fish, it provides a fruity counterpoint. After opening, the jar belongs in the refrigerator.

At a breakfast buffet with several varieties, sea buckthorn is the splash of color. Between red berry spreads, the rich orange immediately catches the eye and invites you to try it. Anyone tasting several varieties side by side should place sea buckthorn at the end. Its tartness makes milder spreads seem pale afterward, while after sweet varieties it truly comes into its own.

Sea buckthorn from FrüchteMeer brings the tartness of the coast to your breakfast bread, clear, fruity and with a wink toward lemon.