The cornel is one of the trees that you can safely plant in the garden as a single shrub or hedge. The plant is not poisonous. The fruits can be processed into jam, juice or liqueur and can even be eaten raw.
Cornelian cherries are edible, but quite bitter when unripe
Cornelian cherries are not poisonous
Cornelian cherries are the ideal shrubs for the garden if you have children or pets. The wood is completely non-toxic.
Although the fruit can be eaten raw, it has such a tart taste that it is better served cooked.
Only the ripe, almost black fruits taste sweet and fruity and can also be eaten raw.
use in the kitchen
In times of need, the non-poisonous fruits of the cornelian cherry have long been used to make jam and juice. Since more and more people are thinking about the old wild fruit, the cornel is being processed more frequently again today.
Various foods and drinks can be made from the fruit:
- jam
- juice
- liqueur
- sweets
- game compote
- chutney
Game compote made from cranberries and cornel goes very well with game and fish dishes.
Popular with bees and many species of birds
The cornel cherry attracts bees and bumblebees not only because of the early flowering in spring. Hedgehogs and many birds also love the fruits, which ripen in late summer.
The cornel feeds 15 different bird species. For gardeners who are close to nature, a cornel or even a whole cornel hedge is the best way to do something good for the animal garden dwellers.
tips
The name cornel is misleading. The fruit tree belongs to the dogwood family. The fruits aren't cherries, they just look a lot like them. However, they are much smaller than the normal cherries grown in the garden.