Yield Performance and Physicochemical Properties of Selected Honey Berry (Lonicera caerulea L. var. kamtschatica Sevast.), Under Central Polish Conditions

Until recently, the blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L. var. kamtschatica Sevast.) was considered a niche species, but Poland is now one of the largest producers of this fruit in the world. The purpose of this study was to assess the yield, quality of the fruits, and the health promotion value of the fruits of selected honey berry cultivars grown under the conditions of central Poland. Six cultivars (‘Morena’, ‘Vostorg’, ‘Honeybee’, ‘Wojtek’, ‘Boreal Beast’, and ‘Boreal Beauty’) were evaluated for yield and physical fruit characteristics: average fruit weight (g), dry matter content (%), fruit shape, fruit colour (CIE lab), firmness (N), soluble solid content (°Brix), pH, titratable acidity (% citric acid), as well as biologically active compounds including polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamin C, and antioxidant activity (DPPH+). The studies also determined the degree of correlation between different variables using Pearson’s linear correlation coefficients. The highest yields were obtained for the ‘Wojtek’ and ‘Boreal Beauty’ cultivars, while in terms of health-promoting properties, the ‘Morena’ cultivar stood out, characterised by the darkest fruit colour, the highest content of polyphenols, anthocyanins, vitamin C, and the highest antioxidant activity. The correlation analysis showed relationships between the vitamin C content, antioxidant activity, and fruit colour and the accumulation of bioactive compounds. The differences observed among the cultivars tested indicated their different potential for use in the fresh consumption, food processing, and pharmaceutical industries.