I had no idea that dogwood trees have fruit until this fall when our new Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa) began growing these lovely pods.
Apparently these pretty little fruits are edible, but not very flavorful. I did find one recipe that uses them as a garnish, and suggestions of jams but no recipes. It seems the best way to eat them is to split them open and suck on the seeds (like a pomegranate)
Extracts from trees of the Cornus species are used in Chinese Herbal medicine along with other herbs in tonics. A Pub Med search revealed that these fruits contain Anthocyans, flavenoid anti-oxidants that may have anti-cancer activities. But I also read that the fruits can be slightly toxic and to avoid them in quantity.
I think I’ll play it safe and just enjoy them externally.
THanks a bunch for the picture–I finally know what that tree of mine in the backyard is!! Actually, I thought it was a dogwood from the flowers, but only recalled seeing them before some 30 yrs ago, while growing up here in the Pacific Northwest.
My tree’s fruits are a little more orange than the picture, but look exactly the same.
janemarie – Mine start out orange, and end up red.
They’re great looking, aren’t they? Almost like a fruit from another planet.
I’ll taste mine if you’ll taste yours…
Hi! I was wondering what sort of tree it was when I first moved to my new home in western NY state – Westfield, NY, in July 2003. It had this raspberry looking berries, and the next year had blossoms that looked like dogwood. So I took a branch to the local nursery and they told me it is a Kousa Dogwood. Birds and other critters seem to like to eat them a little in the late fall, early winter. Then this spring, a neighbor told me that one can make Kousa dogwood berry jam… so I tried Googling but so far have found no recipes… anybody else have a recipe???
So my friend and I have been tasting hers (we live in Connecticut) and I have found only one recipe online for a "dogwood jelly" Corneliancherry Dogwood Jelly
(make sure the fruit you gather is from Cornus mas. I'd advise looking it up in a plant ID book and making sure you have the right kind of tree before you embark on eating any of the fruit)
Makes three pint jars, or 6 cups, of jelly
2 packed cups of Cornus mas fruit (measure after you pass whole fruit roughly through a food processor or blender)
4 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 packet of SureJell
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated if possible
3 pint canning jars (with two-part lid)
Fine mesh strainer
Instructions: Set fruit and water to boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Meanwhile, boil water in a tea kettle and wash canning jars all over with boiling water.
When fruit and water mix is at a rolling boil, turn heat down. Measure sugar and SureJell together into a bowl, then sprinkle into fruit mixture while stirring. Stir until sugar and SureJell are fully incorporated. Add cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg. Simmer for 5 minutes more.
Strain fruit mixture through fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Press on the fruit solids to remove as much liquid as you can. Ladle jelly liquid into canning jars. To clarify the jelly further, you can use cheesecloth or a small strainer as you ladle the liquid into the canning jars at this step.
Immediately as you fill each jar, wipe each jar rim with a moist cloth kitchen towel and twist the lids just into place. Wipe the jars down of any jelly liquid which has dripped on the outside. As the jars cool, continue to gently tighten the lids. Cool on the counter for 30 minutes, then refridgerate until use.
After watching a squirrel perform incredible acrobatics to get the the red berries on my dogwood tree, I decided to try one myself. Actually I just touched it with my tongue, and found it to be sweet and pleasant. So I googled the subject of edible dogwood berries, and after quite a search came upon your blog. I was wondering whether the seed is safe, as in pomegranite, or just the fruit. Anyone know?
Elizabeth, North Eastham, MA
This via my email –
Hi
We used Certo and sugar. Sifted out all the seeds. Nice flavor.
Long Process
Patty Flucker
More from the FLuckers –
Hi! Not having found a proper recipe for this unusual fruit, I decided to go with a raspberry recipe for frozen jam. It worked except for the seeds, somewhat daunting- given the sizes, which upon trying, attempted to rip off the poop thing. Having tested thus, we strained out the seeds, a lengthy process, but do-able, given the weekend. Excellent, given the sugar. Too pretty and fruitful looking, I'd do it again- given the time. A most unusual Fall gift in our school courtyard- My class will be trying it with toast. I've run the gauntlet for the test-run. It is edible!
Patty Fluker
I’ve been looking for a recipe for dogwood berries and I will try the one in this blog. I can’t believe in all the cookbooks I have that non are mentioned but my husband eats them while mowing our property here in the Northwest. I would love to can a jelly out of them since the birds get my elderberries before I can pick them..