hello i would like to tell youse about one of my favorite late summer/early autumn foraged goodies – kousa dogwood fruits!
kousa dogwood trees are native to asia, but are planted in the US in a lot of parks and along sidewalks. the fruit starts to ripen in late summer and is usually available into early fall. you’ll know they’re ready when they turn bright red – but the choicest ones are almost purple.
the texture of a perfectly ripe kousa dogwood fruit is soft and custardy – similar to pawpaws! the taste is a surprising combination of persimmon and pumpkin. the skin is bitter and grainy, but luckily it’s very easy to squeeze out the ripe inner fruit! this is the easiest way to eat them – just suck the pulp out through the hole at the top (pretend you are a hungry giant slurping brains for maximum fun).
they have a very short shelf life, so if you’re not eating them right away it’s best to preserve them for later use. the pulp freezes beautifully, but can also be canned or dehydrated. my favorite way to save them is to freeze portions in ice cube trays – great for adding to smoothies and such!
* This and cornelian cherry (cornus mas) are non-native, edible dogwoods. Native US dogwood trees produce smaller fruits that are either inedible or mildly poisonous.
