Berries

A profusion of pyracantha and rowan berries caught my eye this week alongside a busy road in Ilkeston. This is just a fraction of the total display and my first thought was that there is a wonderful harvest here to help feeds the birds throughout the winter.


I was surprised to learn though that pyracantha berries are not poisonous and although they are very bitter, they can be cooked and are edible when made into jelly. Rowan berries too are again bitter and also make excellent jelly which is usually served with meat. They have several other uses including being soaked in spirits to form a liqueur or even made into wine and an infusion of the berries can be used as a gargle for sore throats. And here I thought they were just for the birds!

In all things of nature there is something of the marvellous. - Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC)