[Sca-cooks] Barberries

[wyldrose]

European high bush cranberries taste bitter even when you add lots of sugar.  I can imagine they were only eaten as a survival foods.  American high bush cranberries have a sweeter taste and no bitter after taste.  I have a friend who grows  them professionally.  He accidentally go some of the European type (which are commonly used for landscaping here in the Midwest) and has pulled those all up and burned them.  The American variety are excellent and he is able to sell lots of them as both syrups and jellies.
   The barberries I have tried tasted somewhat meally and not that good.  For the pain of gathering them (stickers) rose hips or even hawthornes would taste much, much better and be less damaging to the hands.
                     Kay