While the tiny fruits of the Cornelian cherry are safe for both pets and people—and pack a serious punch of Vitamin C—their flavor is definitely an acquired taste! Depending on the variety, the experience can range from “pucker-up” tart to surprisingly sweet.
Eating Cornelian Cherries Raw
These little berries are nutritional powerhouses, but don’t expect them to taste like the sweet cherries you find at the grocery store. When eaten raw, most Cornelian cherries are incredibly astringent and sour. While they aren’t toxic, that harsh flavor profile usually keeps people from snacking on them straight off the bush.
Color Matters for Flavor
The secret to the taste often lies in the color. Bright red fruits are typically the most tart and acidic. However, if you find the darker, deep-purple varieties, you’re in for a treat—they taste much more like a classic sour cherry or a Montmorency cherry.
Using Cornelian Cherries in the Kitchen
If you have healthy Cornelian cherries growing in the right spot, you’ll likely end up with a massive harvest. Since they aren’t great raw, the magic happens in the kitchen. There are tons of creative ways to use them:
- Boiling for preserves,
- Drying for snacks,
- Pickling,
- Roasting or pressing the pits,
- Juicing,
- And even fermenting them into wine or liqueur.
Cooked berries make fantastic jams, jellies, compotes, or fruit purees. If you dry them, they add a nice zing to your morning granola or a fruit salad. Pickled Cornelian cherries are a sophisticated side dish for meat and veggie plates. You can even roast the pits to create a subtle vanilla aroma that tastes amazing in coffee, or press them for oil. Fun tip: the leftover pulp from juicing makes a great natural dye!
Wines and Liqueurs
Those dark red to nearly black fruits aren’t just for healthy juices; they make excellent fruit wines. Once fermented, that harsh acidity mellows out into something much smoother. In Austria, where the plant is affectionately called the “Dirndl bush,” they even distill the fruit into a famous schnapps known as “Dirndlschnaps.”
Even Fish Have a Sweet (or Sour) Tooth
Here’s a fun bit of trivia: back in the day, the flesh of the Cornelian cherry was actually used as fishing bait! It turns out many fish species are naturally attracted to the unique scent and taste of these berries.