Edibles from the city: service pears and other shrubs

Created: 06/21/2022, 16:00

By: Ines Alms

The fruits of the pear can be eaten raw, but children should be careful.

Wild shrubs such as aronia or cornelian cherries are also a pleasure.

Munich – Not only the birds are enthusiastic about the small fruits that look like blueberries and yet taste like pears: the pear is a shrub that is increasingly found in parks and gardens, even in the middle of the city.

And if you don't harvest them near major roads, pear berries and other wild fruits such as aronia berries or cornel cherries are a vitamin-rich addition to the menu.

Edibles from the city: service pears and other shrubs

The pear is not only popular with birds, the fruit is also edible for humans.

(Iconic image) © Gottfried Czepluch/Imago

June is the peak season for the light red to black-blue fruits of the service pear.

This can be recognized, among other things, by the fact that many birds often pick the ripe berries in the bush, which can be several meters high.

The shrub is also a great addition to gardens, displaying beautiful spikes of white flowers in spring and mostly red foliage in autumn.

There are numerous species of pear and the fruits of all of them are edible.

And the fruit actually tastes intensely like aromatic pears and a little like blueberries.

Whether raw over ice, cooked as compote or jam - they are not only a culinary delight, but like all wild fruits they also contain a lot of vitamin C and digestive tannins.

The pear is a veritable superfood.

Eating rock pears raw: Children should be careful

However, if you eat the fruit raw, you should not do so in large quantities and avoid chewing on the seeds: Like grape or apple seeds, these contain a small amount of hydrocyanic acid, which can be toxic.

This is usually not a problem for adults, but it can lead to nausea and abdominal pain in children.

In addition to service pears, there are also other wild shrubs in the city that provide edible berries or fruit:

• Cornelian cherry: from August;

  raw, for jam, juice or liqueur

• sea ​​buckthorn: from August;

  raw, for jam or compote

• Aronia (chokeberry): from August;

  raw, for juice, tea, jelly or jam

• Black elder: from August;

  for juice or desserts, only edible raw in small quantities.

• Rose hips: from August;

  raw, for rosehip tea, jam or fruit puree

• Sloes: from October;

  for juice or jam, can only be eaten raw in small quantities and is not very tasty.

You can find even more exciting garden topics in the free 24garten.de newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.

However, there are a few things to keep in mind when picking wild berries in the city: Do not pick wild fruit close to the ground to minimize the risk of fox tapeworm and dog urine.

And of course as far as possible from major roads.

Parks, cemeteries or courtyards of residential complexes often offer good locations, but you should always wash the fruit thoroughly before eating.