Can you unlock the Park Berry Mystery?
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Hedgerow food | 21 comments
Mildred left a comment on the post “Can you identify this fruit” asking if anyone could identify a fruit that she had found in her local park.
“My query, if anyone can help, is about a tree in the local playing field. They are similar to the photo at the top of the page but smaller, only about 15mm, and round. They are red. The inside looks the same too. They seem to be growing in clusters like elderberries grow – not at all like the crab apples on my friend’s tree!
At present only a few have turned red, the rest are still green. I wonder if they are likely to ripen now the days are drawing in. I would be very grateful for any help identifying them please :)”
Our copy of Richard Mabey’s Food for Free
I thought that they sounded like crab apples, until she sent me the photo above. I am now intrigued too.
Any help would be appreciated.
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From picking whitebeam for several years, that photo doesn’t look like the ones I find, though the leaves are similar.
You were perhaps a bit early picking them
Whitebeam fruit looks like small crabapples (green with a slight flush) until the hard frosts have got them, when they turn glassy, and change colour to red, orange and brown (‘bletted’, like medlars). Then they become sweet and useful.
And BTW, rowan (mountain ash) jelly is fantastic. Slight smoky flavour and a tartness. Great with lamb or mutton. If you like, mix half and half with crabapples for a better set.
It is most definitely a member of the haw family. I’ve eaten a couple that grow around here and some are absolutly horrid and others are great. I’ve been mixing them with a batch of rowan, rosehip, and wild apple puree I make to make fruit leather for a camping trip. When I was a kid we used to buy flat cakes of dried haw mixed with sugar and a local country store, and they were my favorite candy. I hope that helps.
Hi Mildred,
Yes Whitebeam jelly sounds like one for the bin.
I do fruit swaps with people who haven’t got the time to do anything with their fruit. To date, everyone is keen to swap. I swap preserves for fruit (I give them a choice).
The Sheffield scheme sounds great.
Hi, we decided not to try Whitebeam jelly – thank goodness! I would rather have jars and jars of edible/tasty Apple Jelly!
We see loads of apple trees laden with fruit in our village, we were thinking of asking around if people were interested in a ‘fruit exchange’ (swap fruit for other kinds of fruit or veg, or even a jar of jam!). There was something on R4 the other day about a scheme in Sheffield where spare fruit was gathered from people’s gardens and sent to schools to be made into puddings etc.
I love it when a neighbour gives me a box of anything – fruit or vegetables – I can always find a use for it.
It is nice to leave some windfalls around for the birds (and hedgehogs).
Hi Kate(uk),
I was going to try Mountain Ash berries for jelly this autumn. Thanks for the tip. Now I can spend my time making a range of apple jellies. A generous client has just presented me with a large box of cooking apples – she was astonished that I was delighted with them. So much fruit goes to waste in the UK in the Autumn.
Hi Amanda,
Thanks so much for dropping by with your verdict on whitebeam/crab apple jelly. What a shame that it didn’t work out.
I’m a keen jelly baby, but , despite large and colourful crops on my whitebeam this past two years I have resisted the urge to use them , even when they are really ripe the birds shun them,and if the birds don’t like them, chances are humans won’t either.My mother and I once tried mountain ash berries for jelly as we read somewhere they were good.I do wonder if the authors of books try out their recipes. Mountain Ash berries were vile.But perhaps we just found a nasty tasting Mountain Ash variety!
Whitebeam/crabapple jelly a dismal failure. Possibly my fault as I squeezed the cooked pulp through the jelly net rather than just letting it drip. The liquid was cloudy and remained so even after straining it through a double layer of muslin. I dissolved 1lb sugar in 1pt liquid then sampled. The initial, fairly pleasant, flavour was instantly followed by a rather horrible tongue-furring sensation! Might try again but would be interested to hear if anyone else has any success with whitebeam berries.
Amanda
Hi Amanda,
Glad that you are enjoying the site.
Thanks for identifying Mildred’s fruit.
I’d love to hear how your whitebeam/crabapple jelly turns out!
I also think that Mildred’s mystery fruit are whitebeam (Sorbus aria) berries which can, apparently, be made into jam or wine. See www.british-trees.com/guide/whitebeam.htm. There are several whitebeams on our farm but I didn’t know till now that the berries are edible.
I found your fabulous website whilst looking for crab apple recipes as the boughs of my Red Sentinel are groaning with fruit this year. Apart from the (essential) picking of sloes, I have never been much of a forager – however, your website inspired me and the last few days have been spent tramping round the garden and farm. I have now made several litres of sloe gin, a couple of litres of damson gin, a few jars of rosehip jelly and rather more jars of crab apple jelly! Apple cheese is next on the agenda. My official jelly tasters (husband and son) have given enthusiastic feedback and I’m now well and truly hooked!
Back to the whitebeam = I think I’ll have a go at making some jelly with equal weights of the berries and of my crab apples. Wish me luck!
Amanda