Ode to Autumn Olive, or “Autumn Berry” (Elaeagnus Umbellata)

Autumn olive fruit, a perennial nitrogen-fixing invasive shrub, contains 5-10 times the lycopene of tomatoes—lycopene is the red pigment that give tomatoes and other red fruits their antioxidant power. It is also a fat-soluble carotenoid or phytonutrient. This year, we decided to extract our fresh autumn olive berries into organic, refined coconut oil for 24 hours to create a nutrient-rich oil. Then, we used the remaining pulp to make tomato-free ketchup, which is one of our favorite uses of this berry. Autumn olive is invasive in many areas, so we are VERY careful about its presence in our system. Most of our plants die after 3 years. And a few bird-seeded plants crop up very occasionally. It’s worth harvesting the berries for their exceptional micronutrient density.

See the USDA’s paper about this plant: https://pubag.nal.usda.gov/download/40095/PDF

This lycopene-rich oil will be re-infused with other medicinal plants to create exceptional food-medicine edible pairings, with a wide spectrum of fat-soluble micronutrients.

According to Jo Robinson, in her book Eating on the Wild Side, heat increases the food value of lycopene (in tomatoes) by “twisting the lycopene molecule into a new configuration that is easier to absorb. (The heat transforms a substance called trans-lycopene into cis-lycopene, which is more bioavailable).” According to Robinson, “Just thirty minutes of cooking can more than double” the lycopene content of tomatoes. [page 151-152, Eating on the Wild Side, Jo Robinson]

While harvesting the autumn olive growing on our farm, we discovered that the local wasps were mining the berries for food…so we left a good portion for the wasps.

Boiling ketchup!

The rich lycopene content in autumn olive makes it a perfect candidate for ketchup, and since the berry contains plant sugars, no additional sweeteners are necessary. We add copious amounts of garlic (sometimes even black garlic for an extra boost), with coriander seed, salt and vinegar to create a unique flavor of Vermont. Not to mention that the ketchup itself is a superfood!!

Autumn Olive ketchup with baked potato wedges.