Edible and Useful Plants of the Southwest: Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona by Delena Tull

Author:Delena Tull [Tull, Delena]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780292748279
Amazon: 0292748272
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Published: 2013-09-15T07:00:00+00:00

Pyracantha, Firethorn—Pyracantha coccinea—Rosaceae

This evergreen, ornamental shrub produces large clusters of orange to red pulpy fruits in late fall and winter. The round berries are about 1/4 inch (5 mm) in diameter. The mealy fruits are unpalatable raw but make a tasty pink jelly (Sperry 1982). For a standard jelly recipe, see page 194. “Pyracantha” means “fire thorn.” Protect yourself from the nasty thorns while collecting the fruits. The thorns can cause a skin rash in sensitive individuals.

Pyracantha berries have a reputation of being poisonous, but I have found no evidence to support the assertion. Michael Ellis, with the Texas State Poison Center (interview, January 1986), reports that the raw berries, especially when green, have caused stomachache in children when eaten in quantity but have produced no worse symptoms.

The introduced ornamental is a common trimmed hedge in Central and East Texas. Its slender branches are lined with short, stiff thorns. The small alternate, simple leaves are oblong and entire. Clusters of white flowers cover the shrub in spring. It is planted ornamentally in scattered locations in the southern U.S.

Rose—Rosa Species—Rosaceae

Roses are woody, vining shrubs or trailing vines, typically with prickly stems. Leaves are alternate and usually compound, with three to many toothed leaflets. The red to orange fruit of the rose is called a hip. The dry elongated fruit ripens in the fall. On the wild species, which you will rarely encounter, the fruits grow to about 1/4–1/2 inch (8–12 mm) long. More than likely, you will use the cultivated roses, with their larger hips.

You can eat rose hips raw, though they have little flavor. The hips provide better-tasting food when cooked. Use them with other fruit or alone for jelly. See the standard jelly recipe on page 194. Euell Gibbons (1966) noted that a cup of rose hips contains as much vitamin C as ten to twelve dozen oranges. Rose hip jelly on toast is certainly a pleasant way to get your vitamins.

Rose hip tea has long been a favorite of health food enthusiasts. Cut off the stems and the leafy protrusions at the tops of the hips. Chop up the fruits, pour boiling water over them, and let the mixture steep for a few minutes. You can also use fresh rose petals in a salad or made into jelly. Euell Gibbons (1966) offers numerous recipes using rose hips in Stalking the Healthful Herbs. Attar of roses is still one of the most highly valued oils in the perfume industry. Be warned that if you are allergic to other fruits in the rose family (peaches, pears, plums, cherries, apples, or strawberries), you may also be allergic to rose hips.

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