bird cherries in booze?

[locum76]

Has anyone ever used bird cherry in a boozy drink like sloe gin. I got a load of sloes last week for the Christmas gin and the missus came back with what she thought were sloes but actually turned out to be bird cherries. I'm wondering if we can use those too?

 

[john scrivy]

locum ive not heard of these are the berries simular in size and colour and were they picked from a hedge simular to that of the blackthorn ( slow ) are they as sour as slows Im beginig to think your wife picked late damsons

 

[locum76]

nah, ive done the research and i know my prunus, they're defo bird cherry. the fruit is almost identical to sloeberries but the leaves and habit of the plant are totally different.

 

[Toddy]

Not that I don't believe you know your stuff, but bird cherries this late on? Wow, mine were ripe and guzzled by the big wood pigeons months ago.

The bird cherries I'm always a bitty wary of; mine always seem to have a strong bitter almondness about them. I'm not saying they ought not be eaten, just they don't appeal as something I want to eat, and I love fresh cherries.

I'd be interested, too, in hearing if anyone uses them.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[xylaria]

I am not sure if it safe, but this website says you can.

Bird cherry can made safe if the glycocyanide compound is exposed to enough acid, it stops it breaking down to make cyanide. This is normally done by crushing the fruit. Ask the wife to bump the thread if you die from drinking it.

I wonder if anything can be done with cherry laurel?

 

[locum76]

there,s enough doubt here to make me want to stick to the sloes i think. i know what you mean about the timing of the berries toddy. i've looked all over the web today to figure this one out. the fruit are to small to be damsons or bullaces (only 1cm). one identifier is that the leaves are large - about 10cm, waxy and shiny. i was convinced it was an ornamental bird cherry. japanese bird cherry fruits in october and has large leaves...

 

[Toddy]

If it's the Japanese one then I'm sure the Japanese will have used it one way or another.....someone on the forum is living out there just now; I can't recall who it is though you could try posting a thread asking?
My eldest speaks and reads fairly good Japanese, I could ask him. Ironically he's got food poisoning just now, he was at a wedding at Crieff Hydro and half the guests have gone down with something horrible

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Philbert]

Last time I was at the Crief Hydro I was very sick also. Think it may have been to do with the massive amount of alcohol though

 

[SOAR]

there,s enough doubt here to make me want to stick to the sloes i think. i know what you mean about the timing of the berries toddy. i've looked all over the web today to figure this one out. the fruit are to small to be damsons or bullaces (only 1cm). one identifier is that the leaves are large - about 10cm, waxy and shiny. i was convinced it was an ornamental bird cherry. japanese bird cherry fruits in october and has large leaves...

Are you sure its not Cherry Larrel.

 

[locum76]

i wasn't sure SOAR but now i think you may have hit the nail on the head. the pictures on the web are exactly like the leaves i've seen, as is the description. thanks dude. further research says the fruit is edible but naff. so its definitely just the sloes for me this time.

thanks to all who posted for your help. it just shows there's always more to know about plants.

 

[locum76]

about the creiff hydro, about 18 years ago me and thirty other teenage lads went to the pool there for a 'clean up' after a whole week on a scout camp. i swear there was a black ring around the top of the pool when we left. maybe the pool never recovered. if you guys swam there it might explain yer illness.

 

[Toddy]

Don't know cherry laurel, must keep my eyes open.

Jamie and his friends have thrown up and frantically raced to find an empty loo for over 24 hours, unfortunately some of the children at the wedding too are ill......what a way to remember a wedding They seem to think it was the soup.#

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

I had Cherry Wine in Poland, Golostowicz, near Wroclaw. In 92, a wee village that was almost self sustaining in food. Amazing variety of preserves and booze form all the fruits.

Nick

 

[xylaria]

I think combatblade has said he has eaten cherry laurel fruits. I have tasted but not swallowed one, and I would say it tasted really nice, like cherry flavored marzipan. I was going to do more research before any other experiments with it.

The leaves of cherry laurel were used by victorian butterfly collectors. A chushed leaf was placed in a jar with the insect until it died of cyanide fumes.

 

[SOAR]

I didn't know that about the butterfly colectors thats very interesting.

Simon.

 

[Risclean]

A little cyanide is ment to be good for the digestion - probably best to stop eating the bird cherries when your tung goes numb though