Harvest at the right time
The fruits of the rock pear are usually ripe for harvest in June or July, depending on the location and the weather. Before that, they change their color from a bright red of the still unripe fruits to a dark purple hue or an almost blue-black color. In order to obtain products of optimum quality when processing the fruits, the fruits should not be harvested too early. Do not take too much time with this, otherwise you may be left behind. Many birds appreciate the fruits of the rock pear as a delicacy. Smaller shrubs in the bucket you should therefore secure against the danger of being eaten in the air with a net from time to time. Since the fruits of the rock pear only gradually ripen fully, you can harvest several times over a period of several weeks.
also read
- The leaves and fruits of the rock pear: poisonous or not?
- The fruits of the rock pear - decorative and edible
- The growth of the rock pear
That is why the fruits of the rock pear should only be consumed fresh in moderation
As in the leaves, the seeds of the rock pear contain small amounts of so-called cyanogenic glycosides. The ones that occur after consuming large amounts of chewed seeds due to the split off hydrocyanic acid Gastrointestinal complaints can be uncomfortable, but are usually not serious Pose a health hazard. In general, unchewed seeds of freshly consumed fruits of the rock pear are simply excreted undigested by the human body. If the fruits are fully ripe and consumed in moderation, this should have a positive effect on health due to the tannins, minerals and flavonoids they contain.
Diverse options for processing
The fruits of the rock pear can be processed in various ways and thus made usable for a longer time. As a rule, the fruits are mainly processed into the following products:
- jam
- liqueur
- tea
To enjoy rock pear tea, the fruits are simply dried immediately after harvest. For a cup of tea, about a teaspoon of the dried fruit is poured over 200 ml of boiling water. The fruits are then left to soak in hot water for about ten minutes before the tea with the typical marzipan-like aroma of the fruits can be enjoyed.
Reduce the rock pear fruits together with other berries
Most of the time, jam made from the fruits of the rock pear also contains other berries, as this enables even better tasting results. Since the fruits of the rock pear themselves contain a lot of pectin, less jam sugar is usually required than usual. When boiling jam from the fruits of the rock pear simply 600 g rock pear fruits are made together with 400 g raspberries or currants using about 500 g preserving sugar boiled down.
Tips
the edible Fruits of the rock pear are not only eaten fresh from the tree or processed by people. Fruits are also high on the menu for many birds. Somewhat problematic is the fact that the birds can taste the berries when they are not yet ripe, so they can hardly be anticipated when they are harvested. So you should choose the rock pear mainly because of its fruits and less because of its decorative look in the garden planted In any case, it is worth installing a bird protection net or something else Protective measures.