Top 10 Sea Buckthorn Recipes

1. Freeze:

Wash the berries, dry them on a cloth, and pick out the sturdiest ripe ones to freeze whole. Frozen berries are great for smoothies and juicing through the winter months, giving an extra boost of vitamin C when it’s needed most.

2. Juicing:

A juicer makes quick work of extracting the juice — the berries crush easily and the pulp separates with little effort. Freeze extra juice in silicone molds; the cubes can be diluted with water and a little honey, or added straight to smoothies. Without a juicer, blend the washed berries with a hand blender or food processor into a runny purée, add a sweetener, blend for another minute, then strain out the pulp (save it — it has other uses) and dilute the juice with water to taste and to protect tooth enamel from the tartness.

3. Purée-ing the Berries:

Purée the berries to a fine consistency, pour into molds, and freeze — smaller portions this way are easier to defrost as needed. Once frozen, pop them out of the molds and transfer to freezer bags.

4. Sea Buckthorn Tea:

Sea buckthorn tea is a good source of vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, fatty acids and minerals. If you can air-dry the berries, combine 2 tablespoons of dried berries and leaves with 1 cup of water in a pot, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and cover to infuse for 10 minutes. A little lemon juice and sweetener is optional.

5. Sea Buckthorn Muffins:

A full recipe for eggless sea buckthorn muffins is shared separately — see the full muffin recipe here.

6. Rosemary-Infused Vinegar:

A lovely, easy gift for a Christmas basket, and since the berries aren’t heated, none of the vitamins are lost. Rinse 2 cups of berries, drain well, and dry overnight on kitchen towels — any leftover moisture can encourage bacteria in the vinegar. Place the dried berries and a few crushed sprigs of rosemary into a sterilized glass jar with a non-metallic lid (metal will rust on contact with vinegar). Gently heat organic apple cider vinegar until just before boiling, let it cool slightly, then pour over the berries and seal. Leave undisturbed in a dark cupboard or cellar for 3 to 4 weeks to mature, then strain and bottle.

7. Sea Buckthorn Jam:

Using 1 liter of sea buckthorn juice and 1.5kg of jam sugar, boil vigorously for about 10 minutes, then reduce to a rolling boil and stir often so it doesn’t catch on the bottom, cooking for about 15 minutes total. Test the set on a chilled plate kept in the freezer — once a spoonful sets while tilting, it’s ready to bottle into sterilized jars. Thanks to the berries’ natural pectin, the jam sets easily.

8. Cinnamon Jam Variation:

Follow the same jam recipe above and stir in 3 teaspoons of freshly ground cinnamon. Grated apple is another nice variation to try.

9. Scandinavian Sea Buckthorn Vinegar:

Another lovely Christmas gift. Rinse 200g of fresh berries two or three times in cold water and drain (frozen berries don’t need rinsing). Heat 500ml white wine vinegar and 250g caster sugar with 200ml water until the sugar dissolves, then cool completely. Place the berries in a sterilized 2-liter glass jar with a glass lid, pour over the sweetened vinegar, seal, and leave undisturbed for 4 weeks. Pour through a jelly bag over a bowl and let drain overnight, then bottle, seal and store.

10. Sea Buckthorn Bath Powder:

A good use for the dried pulp left over from juicing — air-dry the peels at around 45°C using an oven’s hot air setting, or in the sun when possible. Blitz 2 cups of the dried pulp together with 1 cup of rolled oats into a fine powder, mix in about 20 drops of essential oil (orange works well), and store in an airtight jar.