I have two types of Cotoneaster that grow near my home. One I've identified as Cotoneaster acutifolius , as was told it was edible, yet untasty. I found the flavor of these purple berries to be very mild, yet very good. I only ate a few berries at a time, and sparingly. There also are several coteaster shrubs that produce a red berry. My question is, are all berries in this family edible? I've read on here and a few other places that the berries are indeed edible, yet several other sources list them as "mildly" poisonous. Which shall I believe? And what does the "mildly posionous" entail? Are they cathartic? Do they cause stomach pain? Anyone know? I ask because last summer I discovered about 20 edible fruits near my home, and plan on harvesting quite a bit this upcoming season. I'd like to know if I should add these to the list! Thanks in advance.
Look here: http://www.chop.edu/service/poison-control-center/resources-for-families/berries-and-seeds.html If you eat it a lot... But my guess is that being pasteurized and conserved it should be ok.
The ones I've tried are rather dry, floury-textured, bitter, and very astringent. You could try adding some to jam to give it a bit more bitter flavour, similar to rowan jelly (a traditional accompaniment to venison and other game dishes).
Try this page at Plants for a Future. PFAF does not take any responsibility for misuse or mis-identification, but will give you some indication. Not all of those labeled edible to some degree are referring to berries. Always ITEMize when you are planning to harvest plants you do not know that well. ITEM or TIME is a mnemonic for: Identification: are you absolutely certain of your ID, using several sources? Time: Is it the right time of year, or even day, for you to harvest? For instance a berry may turn the right color in the wrong season as part of a disease process. Environment: Is the environment healthy, the plant clean, the water unpolluted? Method: Generally of preparation, but could also be how you collect it or store it until you use it.
