By Uta Wagner, The Taste of Crete.
The western strawberry tree belongs to the heather family (Ericaceae). It is evergreen and the leaves remind of narrow bay leaves. The tree can bloom twice a year and the flowers are light pink to purple and bell-shaped (like oversized heather flowers).
The western strawberry tree botanically is called „Arbutus unedo“. According to Plinius, a Roman scholar, the name suffix unedo is derived from „unum tantum edo“ – translated: I only eat one. Some believe that this addition suggests that it is unhealthy to eat more than one fruit raw. Others assume that he didn’t like the berries – probably the Spanish version – and therefore he only ate one.
When ripe, the fruits are approximately 2.5 cm tall, red on the outside and have a warty surface. Inside, they are yellow orange and taste fruity and sour. The best time to harvest is November. Despite the somewhat firmer skin, the fruits do not have to be peeled (just bite into them).
Looking for a nice jam recipe, I only found information from Spain. According to the illustrations, the leaves of the strawberry tree are larger in Spain and the ripe fruits are yellow. In addition, the fruits should taste very floury.
The fruits
Most of the time the fruits are processed into schnapps, liqueur or jam. They contain a lot of pectin and vitamin C, which is very practical for the jam production. However, they also contain small seeds and the warty skin does not completely dissolve when cooking, so it is better to push them through a sieve which adds a little work to the process.
The leaves and the bark have been used medicinally since ancient times due to their antiseptic and astringent properties, and are taken especially against stomach ailments, diarrhea and externally for poorly healing or purulent wounds. And since they are also diuretic, they were taken to treat bladder infections and kidney problems.
The effective ingredients are tannins and the glycoside Arbutin. Its breakdown products in the urine have a disinfectant effect and inhibit the growth of bacteria in the ureter, bladder and urethra. Due to the high tannin content, the leaves and bark were also used in tannery in the past. The bark of the Cretan strawberry tree also differs from that of the western Mediterranean. It is reddish in Crete, while the other is light gray.
I made a liqueur with Raki and cooked 1.5 kg of jam.
Since the berries tasted too sourly on their own, a delicious strawberry-red wine jam has been created, seasoned with cinnamon, vanilla and cloves.
Kali Orexi – Bon appetit!