Sea buckthorn grows in dense clusters on thorny branches. The berries are smaller than chickpeas, orange, and sharply tart, with a texture and flavor quite different from oleaster berries, though the plants are in the same family. Because sea buckthorn is highly acidic, this preserve needs no lemon juice, and the sugar is used in an equal weight to the fruit. The skin is very thin, and the flesh is delicate and oily: long boiling breaks the berries down and turns their color brown, so the preserve is cooked in two short boils.
Pick the berries from their branches one by one without squeezing them; their thin skins split easily between your fingers. Remove any leaves and bits of stem, then rinse the berries in cold water and drain them in a colander.
Bring the sugar and 100 ml of water to a boil in a pot, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Add the berries to the hot syrup. Gently shake the pot to mix, and once it begins to boil, cook for 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat, cover with a clean cloth, and let it rest; the berries will absorb the syrup during this time.
Bring the rested preserve back to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, skimming off the foam. Remove it from the heat when it reaches 104–105°C / about 220°F or wrinkles when pushed on a cold plate; most of the berries should remain whole.
While the preserve cooks, wash the jars and lids in hot, soapy water, then boil them in water for 10 minutes. Keep them in hot water until ready to fill. Fill the hot jars with the hot preserve, leaving 0.5–1 cm of headspace. Wipe the rims with a clean, damp cloth and close the jars. For pantry storage, process the closed jars in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes.
After the first boil, cover the preserve and let it rest for 4–6 hours; this resting time is not included in the recipe time. Orange droplets of oil on the surface are normal; they come from the fruit.
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