Dearest reader, let me introduce to you the pinnacle of easy desserts. A remnant of my childhood, a dessert that puts the fruit front and center, comes together incredibly quickly, and if you forage the fruit, is wonderfully cheap. It is comfort and joy in a pan.
That's right, all it is is half a cup each of flour, sugar, and milk (any kind), 1 tsp baking powder, a quarter teaspoon salt and TWO CUPS fruit. You mix together everything but the fruit, pour it into a 8 inch square pan, sprinkle fruit on top, aka bake 40 minutes at 350f.
Today I made it with Rubus ursinus, aka, the native blackberry around here.
✨️Sparkly✨️
I'm gonna post the finished "cobbler" when it's done.
This is a weird out of the blue ask, but you post a lot of great stuff about food and particularly medieval and forage and stuff, so I wondered if you might know the answer.
I just realized the tree in my yard is not a chokecherry as I thought but a Mayday tree (European bird cherry, Prunus padus). I live in western Canada and they're not native here, they're planted as a decorative tree, and people here seem convinced the cherries themselves are actually poisonous. I can't find any confirmation on this besides conflicting tree nursery info, but they're listed as a forage and jam berry on a UK site and a pie cherry on wikipedia.
I just picked and froze two bags intending to make jam! While I'm pretty sure it's fine, I'm frustrated by how inconsistent the info online is, and all the books I have cover only native forage here. Do you perchance know if these cherries make good jam like chokecherries do, and can I feed it to my roommates without committing grievious intestinal crimes on them??
(Please feel free to answer privately!)
Sincerely, a very confused berry picker trying to utilize my yard fruit in these trying times
I'd never heard of bird cherry until you mentioned it, even though it's native to Ireland.
After a quick search - you're right about the conflicting information! - my advice is DO NOT EAT THESE.
Most favourable references (plant nurseries, forestry and woodland sites) mention the bird cherry's fragrant almond-scented flowers and that their fruit is good for attracting birds, hence the name. However none of the several I looked at said anything about people eating them.
Here's a source which claims the fruit is edible though very bitter, while the seeds are toxic (cyanide)...
Natutal medicine can heal your body and mind. Medicinal herbs: Bird Cherry (Prunus padus)
Here's a source which says the entire plant is toxic.
I am amending my yard with plants attractive for birds, and I noticed Prunus padus as one of such plants. However, on multiple sites I found
YMMV, but IMO and given the available evidence, consuming bird cherries isn't worth the risk.
🍇 Wild Grape: The Ancient, Hardy, Nutrient‑Rich Fruit of Forest and Field
Wild grapes (Vitis spp.) grow naturally across forests, riverbanks, and open fields, producing small, intensely flavored berries with deep cultural roots and impressive nutritional value. Their history stretches back thousands of years, connecting Indigenous traditions, early agriculture, natural fermentation, and modern…
tried an american/common persimmon (diospyros virginiana) bc i found some nearby and honestly? 4/10. was a little sweet but mostly very very dry. it was quite ripe btw. i may have left it to chill too long :(
