The image, above, shows the full wild cherry tree (Prunusavium), right in springtime. Also shown are the ripe cherry
fruit, top left and the edible flowers of the tree, bottom left..
| Common Name: Wild cherry |
| Scientific Name: Prunus avium |
| Other Names: Sweet Cherry, Gean or Mazzard |
| Family: Rosaceae |
| Range: Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa and W. Asia. |
Physical Characteristics
Prunus avium is a hardy deciduous tree, growing to 18m (60 ft) by 7m (23 ft) in size. It is hardy to zone 3 and is not frost tender. The plant flowers from April to May and the fruit ripen from July to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by bees. The tree is not self-fertile.
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| Edible Parts: Fruit, Seeds, Flowers, Gum |
 Edibility Rating: 4 
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 Known Hazards: Though not specific toxic effects have been noted for wild cherries, it does belong to a genus where most species produce hydrogen cyanide in their leaves and seeds. Hydrogen cyanide is the chemical poison that gives almonds their characteristic flavour. The poison is usually present in too small a quantity to do any harm, but care should be taken if cracking cherry pits to add flavour to jams (though cooking does reduce the levels of hydrogen cyanide present).
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Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Wild Cherry along with all the Wild Cherry containing recipes presented on this site, with 2 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Wild Cherry as a major wild food ingredient.
The Wild Cherry, Prunus avium, (formerly known as Gean or Mazzard), a member of the Rosaceae (rose) family and the Prunoideae (plum) subfamily is a is a species of cherry, native to Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia whose native range extends from the British Isles south to Morocco and Tunisia, and east to southern Sweden, Poland, Ukraine, the Caucasus, and northern Iran, with a small disjunct population in the western Himalaya.
The wild cherry is a deciduous tree growing to growing maximally to 30m tall (though more typically about 15m). The leaves are alternate, simple ovoid-acute, 7–14 cm long and 4–7 cm broad, glabrous matt or sub-shiny green above, variably finely downy beneath, with a serrated margin and an acuminate tip, with a green or reddish petiole 2–3.5 cm long bearing two to five small red glands. In autumn, the leaves turn orange, pink or red before falling. The flowers are produced in early spring at the same time as the new leaves, borne in corymbs of two to six together, each flower pendent on a 2–5 cm peduncle, 2.5–3.5 cm diameter, with five pure white petals, yellowish stamens, and a superior ovary; they are hermaphroditic, and pollinated by bees. The fruit is a drupe 1–2 cm in diameter (larger in some cultivated selections), bright red to dark purple when mature in mid summer, edible, variably sweet to somewhat astringent and bitter to eat fresh; it contains a single hard-shelled stone 8–12 mm long, 7–10 mm wide and 6–8 mm thick, grooved along the flattest edge; the seed (kernel) inside the stone is 6–8 mm long.
Wild Cherries have been an item of human food for several thousands of years. The stones have been found in deposits at bronze age settlements throughout Europe, including in Britain. As the ancestor of the cultivated sweet cherry, the Wild Cherry is one of the two cherry species which supply most of the world's commercial cultivars of edible cherry (the other is the Sour Cherry Prunus cerasus, mainly used for cooking; a few other species have had a very small input). The wild cherry remains a common hedgerow tree and can be a great boon to any wild forager who discovers it. As well as the fruit the petals can also be eaten and make a wonderful garnish for salads.
As well as the fruit and flowers, the seeds can also be eaten. These are obtained by cracking the cherry pits. If eating raw, take care and discard if bitter, as this is an indication of high levels of hydrogen cyanide in the seeds. Roasting or dry frying the seeds to cook will reduce the levels of hydrogen cyanide inside. The seeds can also be dried and ground to make a flour substitute. When the bark is wounded, the tree exudes an edible gum. This can be dried and used as a substitute for mastic.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Wild Cherry as a major wild food ingredient.
The Wild Cherry, Prunus avium, (formerly known as Gean or Mazzard), a member of the Rosaceae (rose) family and the Prunoideae (plum) subfamily is a is a species of cherry, native to Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia whose native range extends from the British Isles south to Morocco and Tunisia, and east to southern Sweden, Poland, Ukraine, the Caucasus, and northern Iran, with a small disjunct population in the western Himalaya.
The wild cherry is a deciduous tree growing to growing maximally to 30m tall (though more typically about 15m). The leaves are alternate, simple ovoid-acute, 7–14 cm long and 4–7 cm broad, glabrous matt or sub-shiny green above, variably finely downy beneath, with a serrated margin and an acuminate tip, with a green or reddish petiole 2–3.5 cm long bearing two to five small red glands. In autumn, the leaves turn orange, pink or red before falling. The flowers are produced in early spring at the same time as the new leaves, borne in corymbs of two to six together, each flower pendent on a 2–5 cm peduncle, 2.5–3.5 cm diameter, with five pure white petals, yellowish stamens, and a superior ovary; they are hermaphroditic, and pollinated by bees. The fruit is a drupe 1–2 cm in diameter (larger in some cultivated selections), bright red to dark purple when mature in mid summer, edible, variably sweet to somewhat astringent and bitter to eat fresh; it contains a single hard-shelled stone 8–12 mm long, 7–10 mm wide and 6–8 mm thick, grooved along the flattest edge; the seed (kernel) inside the stone is 6–8 mm long.
Wild Cherries have been an item of human food for several thousands of years. The stones have been found in deposits at bronze age settlements throughout Europe, including in Britain. As the ancestor of the cultivated sweet cherry, the Wild Cherry is one of the two cherry species which supply most of the world's commercial cultivars of edible cherry (the other is the Sour Cherry Prunus cerasus, mainly used for cooking; a few other species have had a very small input). The wild cherry remains a common hedgerow tree and can be a great boon to any wild forager who discovers it. As well as the fruit the petals can also be eaten and make a wonderful garnish for salads.
As well as the fruit and flowers, the seeds can also be eaten. These are obtained by cracking the cherry pits. If eating raw, take care and discard if bitter, as this is an indication of high levels of hydrogen cyanide in the seeds. Roasting or dry frying the seeds to cook will reduce the levels of hydrogen cyanide inside. The seeds can also be dried and ground to make a flour substitute. When the bark is wounded, the tree exudes an edible gum. This can be dried and used as a substitute for mastic.
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Wild Cherry recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 2 recipes in total:
Page 1 of 1
| Carragheen and Wild Cherry Mousse Origin: Britain | Rice Pudding with Meadowsweet and Compote of Wild Cherries Origin: Britain |
Page 1 of 1