Firethorn

Pyracantha coccinea

fruit

Orange or red berries of the firethorn, bland raw, cooked into jelly with apples.

Origin

Southern Europe and Asia

Where to find it

As a hedge in gardens, housing developments and along parking lots; choose untreated hedges, away from roads.

Season (United States)

September to November

Preparation

Always cooked, seeds removed: raw, they are indigestible, and their seeds contain cyanogenic compounds.

Molecules

In small amounts, not counted Pectins · Insoluble fibers

Did you know?

Birds eat them only after frosts, once they have softened.