In this post I share my experience growing and eating the Goji berry. Ignore all the hype of the berry being healthy and that is why you should grow them. I think they taste gross unless you prepare them. The vine is really something to experience – it is very pretty in full bloom.
Goji Berry Fun Facts
It’s always exciting to find new information about the veggies and fruits I grow in my Ohio home garden. I had no idea the beautiful Goji Berry plant I grew in my garden a few years ago was pack with so many health benefits. Some of the best ways to use the berry are listed below:
- Teas
- Soup
- Smoothies
Goji berries are a superfood because they contain chemical compounds called phytochemicals that are produced by plants. Phytochemicals in berries include polysaccharides, beta-carotene, and zeaxanthin.
Interested in growing your own Goji Berries? It’s super easy and the vine is gorgeous in any partial sunny location of your home garden. I share more at Lifeberry Goji Berries in my Home Garden. Mine is doing it’s best facing the southwest in my geodesic biodome year-round.
Growing Goji Berry In My Home Garden
The first summer I grew this plant in a larger container surrounded by some of my favorite herbs and flowers. The bees and butterflies loved the flowers of the Goji Berries. I need to look back on my Instagram and find a photo of the bloom from that summer. The berries came quickly and were surprised by their flavor right off the vine. I prefer to eat the newly harvested berries after they’ve been dried in a dehydrator just because they are healthy. They taste kind of weird even dehydrated.
In the dome, I added a wire trellis for the vine to climb and it is doing fantastic!
Let’s Connect
What do you think about Goji Berries? Have you ever tried them in a recipe? I would love to hear what you think about the berry and any additional questions you may have. Comment on this blog post for a quick response.
Happy Growing Your Own Goji,
4 Responses
Well, my LifeBerry goji from Stark Bros produced its first harvest for me this past autumn of 2015. I (and others) found the berries to be rather disagreeable in flavor when eaten raw, straight off the vine; bitter and medicinal with a seedy texture. From that point I used them in baking, where these issues vanished into the flavor and texture of the finished product. This coming season I expect to dehydrate much of the harvest and see where that takes us!
Great to connect Jay – I had a similar experience with the plant I grew year in Ohio in a container. I was sharing it all spring and summer on social media from the time I brought it home from the local garden center to the first bloom. It came time to eat a berry and I was surprised… it was not what I imagined. I’m glad I shared it on social media because someone introduced me to drying them! They taste awesome dried in salads and of course in smoothies. I would love to try them in bake goodies. I’ll have to look up some recipes!
Are you still growing the goji vine? I tried it several years ago planting it in the landscaping on the south side of the house. All it did was send out pretty purple flowers which produced no fruit and runners which popped up all around it. The bees loved it, but I got nary a berry! Finally pulled it out in frustration.
Hey Nancy – thank you for stopping by my site today. Over the past five years of growing this vine in my dome greenhouse here in Ohio I’ve learned that they don’t like to be over watered. They do great in a sunny location and it may take a few years for you to get get a harvest. I primarily enjoy mine for the vine and the cute little purple flowers these days.
I hope that helps!