The barberry is not just a beautiful shrub for your garden. You can also eat the red berries of the common barberry. Here you can find out what the fruits taste like and what they are used for.
How to eat barberry?
The fruits of the common barberry (Berberis vulgaris) are edible. If you dry thefruits, they no longer taste so sour. You can also extractJuicefrom the fruits or process them intoJam.
Which parts of barberry can I eat?
You can only eatthe berries of the common barberry. The seeds, as well as many other plant parts of the barberry bush, contain toxic substances such as berbamine and berberine. Harvest the fruits from the end of August. You can pick the red berries as long as they hang on the branches. This is how you can dry the fruits:
- Lay out on a baking tray.
- Put in the oven.
- Dry at 50 degrees Celsius for a few hours.
The dried fruits no longer taste so sour and can be stored for longer.
What do barberry fruits taste like?
Dried barberries have a sour taste that is similar toCranberries You can eat the fruits of barberries with various rice dishes. Barberry berries are also often used as an ingredient in muesli and bowls. The sour taste of the fruit, also known as vinegar berries, is due, among other things, to the high vitamin C content that characterizes barberries. If you sprinkle this over the food, the beautiful red also has a very appealing color.
How to make jam from barberry?
Cook 500 grams ofbarberrieswith 150 grams ofsugar. This way you get a product that doesn't taste so sour when you eat it. Proceed as follows:
- Wash the berries and mix them with sugar in a pot.
- Leave covered for two hours.
- Boil in the saucepan to the desired consistency.
- Pour directly into disinfected jam jars.
- Seal the jars securely and let them cool in the room.
What is barberry good for?
The barberry berry providesVitamin Cand has aantibacterialIf you add some berries to your muesli, you can strengthen your immune system and benefit from some of the healing properties of barberry. The berry can have a strengthening effect and also stimulate the appetite. However, since most other parts of the barberry are poisonous, you should only eat the barberry pulp from the common barberry. However, this barberry plant is widespread in Germany and Europe.
Tip
Buy barberries in stores
You want to eat barberries but don't have a barberry bush in your garden? No problem, you can also purchase barberries from well-stocked grocery stores. Since the barberry fruit is part of many recipes in countries like Iran, many supermarkets now also stock the berry in their range.
