The fruits of most dogwood species are reminiscent of cherries, but not those of the Japanese dogwood (Cornus kousa). Sometimes called Asian or Chinese dogwood, this flowering shrub develops deep red, raspberry-like and very tempting-looking drupes after very warm summers. Although these are edible, they usually don't taste particularly good.
Are Japanese dogwood fruits edible?
The fruits of the Japanese dogwood (Cornus kousa) are edible, but the taste is not always convincing. Very ripe, dark red fruits in particular taste sweet. You can process the fruits into jam, jelly, fruit juice or liqueur, where they taste better than in raw form.
Fruits are edible, but not always tasty
Japanese flowering dogwood is cultivated in its East Asian homeland not only for its distinctive flowers, but also for its fruits. Their appearance is reminiscent of raspberries or lychees, but they don't taste nearly as aromatic as these. The flesh is orange in color and has a gelatinous consistency. The fruit is also covered in a leathery skin. Only very ripe fruits (recognizable by their dark red color and they should also be very soft) have a very sweet taste, although the gelatinous mouthfeel when eaten raw is not for everyone.
Processing Japanese dogwood fruits
However, this and the very tough skin are lost when the fruit is cooked, and the peels in particular are almost completely overcooked. Only the seeds - after all, it is a stone fruit - should be sieved out. For this reason, you can use Japanese dogwood fruits very well to make jam, jelly, fruit juice or even liqueur.
Cooking jam
The taste of the dogwood fruits harmonizes very well with sweet apples, which is why they
- 300 grams of dogwood fruits
- 150 grams of apples
- 500 grams of preserving sugar (ratio 1:1)
can be cooked into a delicious jam with a little apple juice. The fruit should of course be washed well beforehand, the apples should be peeled, removed and cut into small pieces. Make sure to cook the fruit until the peel has broken down. The jam should then be strained through a sieve or cloth and only then poured into jars.
Make liqueur
Especially in Japan, a fruity liqueur is made from the raspberry-like fruits, which you can of course also try at home.
- Fill an empty and cleaned liquor bottle halfway with washed dogwood fruits.
- There is also sugar or raw sugar in there,
- about two thirds of the fruit quantity.
- The whole thing is topped up with at least 37.5 percent vodka,
- well closed
- and stored in a cool and dark place for several weeks.
- Shake the bottle regularly.
- After about four to six weeks, taste the whole thing
- and add more sugar if necessary.
Tip
The fruits of the red dogwood (only cooked) and the cornelian cherry are also edible.
