Autumn Olive Guide + Recipes (2024)

Autumn Olive Guide + Recipes – Here is an informational guide on Autumn Olives, a list of recipe ideas & inspiration, and links to Autumn Olive recipes.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Autumn Olive Guide + Recipes

Hi Everyone, Are you familiar with Autumn Olives? They are unique, sweet and tart, small, reddish berry that grows wild here in Central New Jersey (and can also be found in NY and PA).

Enjoy this guide, list of recipe ideas & inspiration, and links to blog recipes on this unique, foraged berry!

I link to the foraging guide that I use, Northeast Foraging, in the recipe link card below at the end of the post.

(All the photos in this post are photos of Autumn Olives on our property, taken September 2020)

What are Autumn Olives?

According to Wikipedia, Autumn Olives are:

“Elaeagnus umbellata is known as Japanese silverberry, umbellata oleaster, autumn olive, autumn elaeagnus, or spreading oleaster. The species is indigenous to eastern Asia and ranges from the Himalayas eastwards to Japan.”

The back of the leaves are silvery in color as compared to the green front side of the leaf.

They have a olive-shaped, pointed pit in the center.

Are Autumn Olive Plants Invasive?

They are an invasive species and spread easily and are feasted on by birds and other wild animals. The plant thrives in disturbed soil areas.

Therefore, don’t feel bad about harvesting them!

I suggest throwing the pits in the trash or where they can be composted (and will not grow into plants), instead of throwing them back in the woods where they can continue to spread.

Are Autumn Olives real Olives?

No, they are fruit/berries, not olives. The berries are olive-shaped.

Are Autumn Olive Plants Shrubs or Trees?

They are considered shrubs and can turn into small trees when they get large.

What is the Nutritional Value of Autumn Olives?

According to Specialtyproduce.com:

“Autumn olives are high in vitamins A, E, and C and are known for their high content of the antioxidant, lycopene.”

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What do Autumn Olives taste like?

Autumn Olives taste sweet, tart and slightly astringent.

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When are Autumn Olives Ripe to Harvest in Central New Jersey?

In Central New Jersey, Autumn Olives begin ripening at the end of August and are ripe at the end of the Summer, in September and through October and into Late Fall, November.

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Recipe Ideas & Inspiration for Autumn Olives

Here is a list of several recipe ideas for Autumn Olives:

Autumn Olive Fruit Leather
Autumn Olive Gin co*cktail Recipe
Autumn Olive Mocktail
Autumn Olive Ice Cream
Autumn Olive Frozen Yogurt
Autumn Olive Chia Seed Pudding
Autumn Olive Sorbet
Autumn Olive Coulis
Autumn Olive Sauce/Topping
Autumn Olive Lemonade
Autumn Olive Iced Tea
Autumn Olive Panna Cotta
Autumn Olive Galette
Autumn Olive Pie
Autumn Olive Juice
Autumn Olive Tart
Autumn Olive Jam
Autumn Olive Jelly
Autumn Olive Quick Bread
Autumn Olive Scones
Autumn Olive Rolls
Autumn Olive Cookies
Autumn Olive Cake
Autumn Olive Jelly Roll Cake
Autumn Olive Marinade or Sauce for Steak/Chicken/Fish/Venison/Meat
Autumn Olive Honey
Autumn Olive Wine
Autumn Olive Syrup

Get Proper Plant Identification

With any foraged food, I HIGHLY recommend using a field guide (I link to my favorite one below, Amazon Affiliate Link) and making sure you have a foraging expert verify the plant.

If you have any doubt, wait until you know for sure. There are a lot of wild berries out there and many are poisonous!

I also currently use an app to help with plant identification on our property and beyond; the one I currently use is the “Picture This” app which I use on the iPhone. I always use multiple verifications before consuming any wild/foraged food.

Here’s a YouTube video on Autumn Olive berry Identification to help you ID it:

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Have you made any recipes with Autumn Olive berries?

Please let me know in the comments at the end of the post.

Thank you for reading and following along!

Here are some Autumn Olive Recipes from other blogs, enjoy the list!