sorbus etc

[cohan]

hi all, i just found a mention of a couple of possibly hardy edible fruits that seem interesting,
wondering if anyone has any seeds of these, or has run across them available...

Mountain Ash ‘Shipova’ (Sorbus x Pyrus) is a cross between a European Mountain Ash and a pear developed in the former Yugoslavia

and

Service Tree (Sorbus domestica) is a European species of Mtn. Ash that features pear or apple shaped reddish and yellow fruit with the taste and texture of “spiced pears”.

and an elaeagnus

Trebizond Date (Eleaegnus angustifolia var. orientalis) is a type of Russian Olive that bears abundant date-like fruits that are sweet and good fro fresh eating or drying.

from this page
http://www.theurbanfarmer.ca/plant_profiles.html

[mark smyth]

According to Hilliers S. aucuparia 'Edulis' is also edible.

They list about 150 species and culitivars of Sorbus

[Onion]

Service Tree (Sorbus domestica) is a European species of Mtn. Ash that features pear or apple shaped reddish and yellow fruit with the taste and texture of “spiced pears”.

Cohan,
you are very, very brave to eat Sorbus domestica fruits. They where used to give a sort of apple wine (from the area around Frankfurt) a tasty flavor.
Fresh fruits you spit out very fast. Not edible in my way.

[mark smyth]

Uli, Rowan jelly/jam is delicious

[cohan]

i haven't eaten them yet, uli, only seen the mention on that one site 
i have tasted a few from the tree we have, i always forget what the species is--a commonly grown european here, i have never heard of people using them, but in the countryside, the birds clean them very fast! the berries i tried were sour but tasty, like cornus sericea.. i've acquired a bit of a taste for many of these bitter berries, though in very small doses..  i guess otherwise you'd need to add sugar/cook them, combine with others etc..

perhaps the site i quoted was talking about a particular cultivar....