jostaberries

Jostaberries: The Undercover Superstar of the Pick-Your-Own Patch

Forget the usual strawberry rut. If you want to feel like you’ve discovered a secret garden treasure, head to a Dutch PYO farm and make a beeline for the jostaberry bushes.

Think of them as the cool, mysterious cousin of the blackcurrant and the gooseberry. They look like fat, glossy blackcurrants, but they taste like a wild party of sweet, tangy, and earthy. The best part? They grow on thornless bushes, which means zero scratched forearms and maximum happy picking. It’s the perfect activity for a lazy afternoon with friends or kids—everyone can grab a bucket and compare who found the darkest, plumpest cluster. The thrill of the hunt is real, and the reward is a bucket full of deep purple jewels that stain your fingers (and probably your lips) a lovely shade of mischief.

Once you’re home, you’ll realize you’ve brought back a flavor bomb. They are incredibly versatile. You can freeze them straight away for winter crumbles, or get creative.

How to Use Them

The Instant Gratification: Eat them fresh by the handful. They pop in your mouth—sweet skin, tangy pulp. Or, sprinkle them over yogurt, porridge, or a simple vanilla ice cream. A true Dutch appeltaart? Toss a handful of jostaberries into the apple filling for a surprising zing.

For the Pantry: They make a seriously good jam because they are naturally high in pectin. No need for fancy setting sugar—just jostaberries, sugar, and a squeeze of lemon.

Two Cooking Recipes

1. Jostaberry & Almond Cake (perfect for koffietijd)

This is a simple, buttery cake where the tart berries cut through the richness of the almonds.

Ingredients:

200g butter (softened)
200g sugar
3 eggs
200g self-raising flour
100g ground almonds
200g fresh or frozen jostaberries
50g flaked almonds

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C (fan) and grease a 22cm cake tin.
Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Fold in the flour and ground almonds until just combined.
Gently fold in the jostaberries. Be careful not to overmix or they’ll bleed too much (a little bleeding is fine—it looks pretty).
Pour into the tin, scatter over the flaked almonds.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Let it cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Serve with a dollop of clotted cream or crème fraîche.

2. Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Jostaberry Sauce

This is a fancy dinner that is surprisingly easy. The berries make a gorgeous, restaurant-quality sauce.

Ingredients:

2 duck breasts (skin on)
Salt and pepper
150g jostaberries
1 shallot, finely diced
100ml chicken stock
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp butter

Method:

Score the duck skin in a criss-cross pattern. Season generously. Place skin-side down in a cold pan, then turn to medium heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the skin is golden and crispy. Flip and cook for another 4 minutes for medium-rare. Rest on a plate.
Pour off most of the duck fat, leaving about a tablespoon in the pan. Sauté the shallot for 2 minutes until soft.
Add the red wine vinegar and let it bubble for 30 seconds. Add the stock, honey, and jostaberries. Simmer for 5 minutes until the berries burst and the sauce thickens slightly.
Swirl in the butter off the heat. Season with salt and pepper.
Slice the duck breast and spoon the sauce all over. Serve with roasted potatoes and a green salad.

The Cocktail Recipe

Jostaberry Gin Fizz

The ultimate summer sipper—pink, fizzy, and dangerously easy to drink.

Ingredients (per glass):

60ml gin
30ml fresh lemon juice
20ml simple syrup (or honey syrup)
Small handful of jostaberries (plus a few for garnish)
Soda water
Ice

Method:

In a shaker, muddle the jostaberries with the simple syrup and lemon juice until they are smashed.
Add the gin and a handful of ice. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds.
Double strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice.
Top up with soda water. Give it a gentle stir.
Garnish with a few fresh jostaberries on a cocktail stick and a sprig of mint if you’re feeling fancy.

So grab a bucket, find a farm in the Netherlands with jostaberries, and go get your hands purple. Your taste buds (and guests) will thank you.

Fruithof De struikrover

fruit, flowers

friesland

Fruithof de Struikrover is a self-picking farm and orchard located in Oldeholtpade, Friesland, situated a short distance from Wolvega. Established in 2013, the farm offers a wide variety of fruit and flowers that visitors can pick themselves. The entire farm is cultivated using organic methods, with no pesticides used. Visitors can pick a diverse selection of fruit, including more than 20 different types. The main crop is the blueberry, but the farm also produces strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and red, black, and white currants (including green gooseberries and jostaberries). Other less common fruits available for picking include honeyberry, tayberry, elderberry, rosehip, quince, medlar, sea buckthorn, chokeberry (aronia), Japanese wineberry, figs, and cherries. The picking season runs through the summer months, from approximately mid-June to mid-September.

by Broersen

fruit, flowers, berries

noord-holland

By Broersen is a third-generation family farm located in Warmenhuizen, North Holland, specializing in the cultivation of traditional Dutch products. The farm grows and sells its own asparagus and strawberries, and also features a pick-your-own garden and a year-round farm shop that offers a variety of local and artisanal products. A pick-your-own garden is available for fruit and cut flowers. The fruit available for picking includes various berries such as red, white, black, and blue currants, gooseberries, jostaberries, loganberries, and blackberries. This fruit is available from the beginning of July through August. Cut flowers are available for picking from the end of June until October. In addition, strawberries can be picked in the greenhouse during the summer holidays for the North region, typically from early July to mid-August. The strawberry picking season runs Monday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM during these weeks.

Fruittuin van West

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries, nuts

noord-holland

Fruittuin van West is a certified biodynamic (Demeter) farm located in Amsterdam, bringing together agriculture, a farm shop, and hospitality. The farm operates Tuesday through Sunday from 10:30 to 18:00 (closed on Mondays). Visitors have the opportunity to self-pick a wide variety of fruit directly from the 6.5-hectare orchard, with a harvest season that typically runs from around mid-June to mid-October. The daily available fruit is updated on-site, as the exact timing depends on natural conditions. The orchard grows over 20 different types of fruit, including numerous apple and pear varieties, various berries (black, red, white, and rosé currants, blueberries, gooseberries, jostaberries, blackberries, raspberries, Japanese wineberries, loganberries, tayberries, and honeyberries), grapes, cherries, plums, mirabelles, peaches, nectarines, and nuts. In addition to fruit, guests can pick mushrooms (oyster and shiitake) year-round from the on-site cave, and chicory (witloof) is available for harvest from roughly November to May. The farm is also home to a variety of animals, including laying hens, Hereford cattle, and Kune Kune pigs. Children can explore the farm freely, with no fixed playground but opportunities for adventure among the trees and animals. The farm shop and café are open the same hours as the orchard, offering organic and biodynamic groceries, meals, and drinks. For adults and groups, guided tours are available upon request. The farm is a registered wedding venue and offers spaces for private parties and business meetings. Events such as live music, treasure hunts, and festivals are also held periodically.

Plukbos Paardenspeelwei

fruit, vegetables, nuts

gelderland

Plukbos Paardenspeelwei is a community-initiated picking garden located in Velp, Netherlands. It is a small-scale project within a larger natural playground, where trees and shrubs of ecological value have been planted. Visitors are welcome to pick fruits, nuts, and seeds to enjoy as a snack during a walk or play. The garden focuses on biodiversity, promoting sustainable practices inspired by permaculture principles. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.