The only edible part of the wild choke cherry is the flesh of the fruit. The leaves, the bark, and the seed all contain cyanide so are toxic when consumed.
The more ripe the berries are, the less tart they are.
The ripe, dark purple berries (as seen in the photo) make wonderful jams, jellies, and syrups – all memorable tastes from my Grandma’s kitchen of long ago.
“ … behind every great Michelin chef there was a woman, usually a four foot cataract-ridden old granny from whom he’d filched his best recipes.”
~ Karen Karbo
Radically Retired 