Sloes, with their characteristic acidic, aromatic taste, have made a comeback in the kitchen in recent years. Whether as an aromatic jelly, internally warming sloe fire or as a biologically effective remedy for bleeding gums and stomach problems: the small stone fruits contain many healthy ingredients that make them a healthy highlight in the kitchen and medicine cabinet.

ancestor of the plum

The fruits and foliage of the blackthorn look like miniature versions of the plum, which was bred by humans by crossing the blackthorn with cherry plum. In contrast to their big brothers, however, the small fruits taste very sour and leave an unpleasant, furry feeling in the mouth when eaten raw.

Father Frost softens the taste

The aroma of the stone fruits is somewhat milder and more aromatic if you pick them after the first frost at the end of November or beginning of December. The minus temperatures make the cell walls of the sloe more permeable and the starch contained in the fruit is converted into sugar.

When is the sloe ripe?

The small fruits have reached the optimum ripeness when the skin is bluish-black in color up to the base of the stalk. If you don't want to wait until the first frost to harvest, now is the right time to pick the stone fruit. This ensures that the delicious little berries have not already been harvested by the birds and that you will hardly find any fruit left.

Spiked delicacy

It can be a bit of a challenge to pick sloes. The blackthorn is well protected by the long, very sharp thorns and the small drupes have to be picked individually from the branch. Wear sturdy gloves and a jacket when harvesting so that you do not injure yourself on the thorns.

Collect the delicious fruits in an air-permeable basket and process them as quickly as possible. This keeps the sloes from wrinkling or starting to spoil. Wild fruits do not do well in plastic bags - this also applies to wild fruits such as barberries or elderberries. Unless otherwise required by the recipe, remove the large pit from the fruit before further processing, as this contains traces of hydrocyanic acid.

tips and tricks

Always pick wild sloes away from busy roads and sprayed fields. Don't "poach" in wildlife sanctuaries. Harvesting the sloe is forbidden here, as the delicious fruit serves as valuable food for numerous bird species in the cold season.

SKb

Category:

Vegetable garden