{"id":10310,"date":"2026-09-22T16:18:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T16:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edenshealth.de\/wiki-archiv\/schlehe-prunus-spinosa\/"},"modified":"2026-09-22T16:18:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T16:18:13","slug":"schlehe-prunus-spinosa","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edenshealth.de\/en\/wiki-archiv\/schlehe-prunus-spinosa\/","title":{"rendered":"Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"position:relative;width:100%;min-height:340px;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#2c3e6b,#4a5fa5,#7d8fd1);border-radius:12px;margin:0 0 24px 0;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;padding:40px;\">\n<h1 style=\"color:#ffffff;margin:0;text-align:center;\">Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"eh-arch\">\n<div class=\"ea-steck\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"k\">Botanical name<\/div>\n<div class=\"v\">Prunus spinosa<small>Rose family (Rosaceae), also blackthorn<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"k\">is used<\/div>\n<div class=\"v\">Fruits and flowers<small>Fruits for juice, puree and liqueur, blossoms for tea<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"k\">The taste<\/div>\n<div class=\"v\">Very tart, sour<small>Milder and fruitier after frost<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"k\">Origin<\/div>\n<div class=\"v\">Europe to Western Asia<small>wild in hedges and at forest edges<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"k\">Known for<\/div>\n<div class=\"v\">Sloe liqueur and sloe gin<small>and thorny hedges full of birds<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"k\">season<\/div>\n<div class=\"v\">Harvest October to December<small>Flowering period: March to April<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ea-body\">\n<nav class=\"ea-nav\">\n<div class=\"t\">On this page<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"#herkunft\">Origin<\/a><a href=\"#nutzen\">To use<\/a><a href=\"#inhalt\">Ingredients<\/a><a href=\"#kombi\">Reinforced combinations &amp; what clashes<\/a><a href=\"#gerichte\">In the kitchen<\/a><a href=\"#hausmittel\">As a home remedy<\/a><a href=\"#tradition\">Ayurveda &amp; TCM<\/a><a href=\"#warn\">Warning notices<\/a><a href=\"#passend\">Related to the topic<\/a><a href=\"#quellen\">Sources<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"box\"><b>In short<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The sloe is the wild fruit of the hedgerow: small, blue-frosted drupes on a thorny bush. Raw, they make your mouth pucker because they are full of tannins. Only frost\u2014or a night in the freezer\u2014makes them milder. Sloes are used to make juice, jam, and liqueur; the kernels contain amygdalin and should not be chewed or cooked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<div>\n<section class=\"ea-k\" id=\"herkunft\">\n<h2><span>Origin<\/span>The blackthorn of the hedges<\/h2>\n<div class=\"eh-kraeuter-img\"><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271024%27%20height%3D%27683%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201024%20683%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271024%27%20height%3D%27683%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/edenshealth.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/schlehe-prunus-spinosa-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Blaue Schlehen an einem Zweig\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:14px;border:2px solid rgba(201,162,75,0.4);box-shadow:0 8px 24px rgba(23,58,36,0.15);\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"ea-satz\">The shrub is called blackthorn because of its dark bark and long, sharp thorns.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ea-drop\">Blackthorn grows wild throughout Europe along roadsides, forest edges, and in hedgerows. Seeds found in pile-dwelling settlements show that even Neolithic people gathered the fruit. The shrub blooms snow-white in March and April, even before the leaves appear \u2013 often the first blossom in the landscape. It provides an early food source for insects and a safe nesting site for birds in its tangle of thorns.<\/p>\n<p>Sloes used to be a winter food supply for poor people: dried, cooked into a puree, or pickled unripe in brine. The sloe berry originated in England. <strong>Sloe Gin<\/strong>, We make sloe liqueur and sloe brandy from it. The sloe is an ancestor of the cultivated plum \u2013 it is considered, along with the cherry plum, a parent of the damson plum.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"ea-k\" id=\"nutzen\">\n<h2><span>To use<\/span>What sloe berries can do for you<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ea-drop\">Sloe berries are small, but densely packed with <strong>tannins<\/strong> and <strong>Polyphenols<\/strong>Sloe berries contain anthocyanins in their dark skin, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and proanthocyanidins. They also contain fruit acids, some vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Precise nutritional information is scarce because sloe berries are not listed in major food databases and their composition varies considerably depending on location.<\/p>\n<p>The tannins have an effect <strong>contracting<\/strong>. Therefore, Commission E gave a positive assessment to sloe berries \u2013 as a mouthwash or gargle for mild inflammation of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa. Laboratory studies show antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of sloe extracts; however, there are practically no clinical studies in humans to date.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>flowers<\/strong> Sloe berries are an old home remedy: as a tea, they were considered mildly laxative, diuretic, and &quot;blood-purifying&quot; and were drunk for colds. Commission E found no evidence of their effectiveness, but also no risks. Sloe berries are therefore primarily an aromatic, tart wild fruit with a long tradition \u2013 not a medicinal plant with proven efficacy.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ea-zahlen\">\n<div class=\"ea-zahl\"><b>1\u20131.5 cm<\/b><span>A sloe is large<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"ea-zahl\"><b>March\u2013April<\/b><span>The shrub blooms before the leaves.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"ea-zahl\"><b>1 night<\/b><span>in the freezer replaces the first frost<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"ea-zahl\"><b>up to 4 m<\/b><span>The blackthorn grows tall<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"ea-k\" id=\"inhalt\">\n<h2><span>Ingredients<\/span>This is what&#039;s in sloe berries<\/h2>\n<p>The fruits contain tannins (proanthocyanidins), anthocyanins, flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol glycosides, phenolic acids such as chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acid, fruit acids, sugars, pectin, vitamin C, and potassium. The flowers contain primarily flavonoids, as well as triterpenes and sterols.<\/p>\n<p>The kernels contain the cyanogenic glycoside - as is the case with apricots, cherries and bitter almonds. <strong>Amygdalin<\/strong>, from which hydrocyanic acid is released when chewed or ground. The pulp itself is harmless.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"ea-k\" id=\"kombi\">\n<h2><span>Enhanced combinations<\/span>What makes sloe berries stronger<\/h2>\n<p>Sloe berries need cold, time, and sweet partners to show their aroma.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ea-kombi\">\n<div class=\"c\"><span class=\"tag\">cold<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"mit\">with <i>Frost or freezer<\/i><\/div>\n<p>Cell walls break, bitterness diminishes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c\"><span class=\"tag\">sweetness<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"mit\">with <i>Apple<\/i><\/div>\n<p>Reduces the acidity in the puree.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c\"><span class=\"tag\">Wild fruit<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"mit\">with <i>rose hip<\/i><\/div>\n<p>For wild berry jelly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c\"><span class=\"tag\">spice<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"mit\">with <i>Cinnamon &amp; clove<\/i><\/div>\n<p>For sloe juice in winter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c\"><span class=\"tag\">Hot drink<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"mit\">with <i>elderberry<\/i><\/div>\n<p>Dark winter juice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c\"><span class=\"tag\">Drying<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"mit\"><i>stoned and dried<\/i><\/div>\n<p>As a bitter snack.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"ea-beisst-h\"><span>What contradicts itself<\/span>It&#039;s best to avoid these combinations.<\/h3>\n<div class=\"ea-kombi beisst\">\n<div class=\"c\"><span class=\"tag\">kernels<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"mit\">not <i>bite<\/i><\/div>\n<p>Amygdalin releases hydrogen cyanide.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c\"><span class=\"tag\">Cook along<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"mit\">not <i>Mash the kernels and cook them along with the rest of the kernels.<\/i><\/div>\n<p>Cook the fruit whole and then pass it through a sieve.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c\"><span class=\"tag\">Raw<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"mit\">not <i>in quantities raw<\/i><\/div>\n<p>Very bitter, hard on the stomach.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c\"><span class=\"tag\">Location<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"mit\">not <i>collect on streets<\/i><\/div>\n<p>Exhaust fumes and dog urine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c\"><span class=\"tag\">liqueur<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"mit\">not <i>daily as medicine<\/i><\/div>\n<p>Alcohol is alcohol.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c\"><span class=\"tag\">confusion<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"mit\">not <i>collect uncertainly<\/i><\/div>\n<p>Similar blue berries are poisonous.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"ea-k\" id=\"gerichte\">\n<h2><span>In the kitchen<\/span>Where they belong<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"ea-gerichte\">\n<li><span class=\"g\">Sloe juice<\/span><span class=\"w\">Hot-pressed, with honey.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"g\">sloe jam<\/span><span class=\"w\">Cooked with apple.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"g\">Sloe jelly<\/span><span class=\"w\">With rosehip.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"g\">sloe liqueur<\/span><span class=\"w\">Fruits preserved entirely in grain.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"g\">Sloe Gin<\/span><span class=\"w\">The English classic.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"g\">Wild game sauce<\/span><span class=\"w\">With venison or mushroom roast.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"g\">Sloe chutney<\/span><span class=\"w\">With onion and ginger.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"g\">Sloe syrup<\/span><span class=\"w\">For sparkling water and tea.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"g\">Pickled sloes<\/span><span class=\"w\">Unripe in brine, like olives.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"g\">Blackthorn blossom tea<\/span><span class=\"w\">Collected in spring.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"ea-tipp\"><b>Rule of thumb:<\/b> Pick sloes after the first frost or freeze them overnight at home. For juice and pur\u00e9e, cook the whole fruits with a little water until soft and then pass them through a sieve or food mill \u2013 this way the pits remain intact and are removed cleanly.<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"ea-k\" id=\"hausmittel\">\n<h2><span>As a home remedy<\/span>Blackthorn blossom tea according to folk medicine<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ea-rezept\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"k\">Here&#039;s how it works<\/div>\n<h3>Blackthorn blossom tea<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Collect freshly opened blackthorn blossoms away from roads in March or April and dry them in the shade.<\/li>\n<li>Pour 250 ml of hot, but not boiling, water over 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried flowers.<\/li>\n<li>Cover and let steep for 5 to 10 minutes, then strain.<\/li>\n<li>Drink warm and in small sips, with a little honey if desired.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"k\">For what<\/div>\n<p>In folk medicine, it is used as a mild spring tea to stimulate digestion, for mild constipation, and for colds. Its effectiveness is not proven; Commission E found insufficient evidence for these uses, but also no risks.<\/p>\n<div class=\"k\" style=\"margin-top:14px\">Crowd<\/div>\n<p>1 to 2 cups a day, for a maximum of a few weeks. Consult a doctor if digestive problems persist.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"ea-k\" id=\"tradition\">\n<h2><span>Ayurveda &amp; TCM<\/span>What the old systems say<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ea-trad\">\n<div>\n<h3>Ayurveda<\/h3>\n<p>The sloe is a European wild plant and not described in classical Ayurveda. According to current understanding, the tart fruit is considered astringent and cooling \u2013 balancing Pitta and Kapha, while for Vata it is better cooked and sweetened.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Traditional Chinese Medicine<\/h3>\n<p>Sloe berries play no role in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Based on their taste, they would be classified as sour and astringent, and thus &quot;constricting,&quot; remedies traditionally used for diarrhea and excessive sweating.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"ea-k\" id=\"warn\">\n<h2><span>Warning notices<\/span>When you should be careful<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ea-warn\">\n<h3>Please note<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cores:<\/strong> Do not bite, grind or puree - amygdalin releases hydrocyanic acid.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Liqueur:<\/strong> Use only whole, undamaged fruits and strain after a few weeks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Stomach:<\/strong> Raw, unripe sloes can cause stomach upset due to their tannin content.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Confusion:<\/strong> Only harvest bushes with thorns and stone fruits that you have identified with certainty.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pregnancy:<\/strong> Avoid sloe blossom tea due to a lack of data, and liqueur in general.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Children:<\/strong> Guide children while collecting so they don&#039;t chew the kernels.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"ea-hinw\">This page provides information and does not replace medical advice. If symptoms persist, please consult a doctor.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"ea-k\" id=\"passend\">\n<h2><span>Related to the topic<\/span>Read on and cook along!<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ea-passend\"><a href=\"\/en\/wiki-archiv\/hagebutte-rosa-canina\/\"><span class=\"art\">Archive<\/span><span class=\"n\">rose hip<\/span><span class=\"d\">Hedgerow fruit in winter.<\/span><\/a><a href=\"\/en\/wiki-archiv\/zwetschge-prunus-domestica\/\"><span class=\"art\">Archive<\/span><span class=\"n\">plum<\/span><span class=\"d\">The cultured descendant.<\/span><\/a><a href=\"\/en\/wiki-archiv\/holunderbeere-sambucus-nigra\/\"><span class=\"art\">Archive<\/span><span class=\"n\">elderberry<\/span><span class=\"d\">For dark winter juice.<\/span><\/a><a href=\"\/en\/wiki-archiv\/mispel-mespilus-germanica\/\"><span class=\"art\">Archive<\/span><span class=\"n\">Medlar<\/span><span class=\"d\">Can only be enjoyed after frost.<\/span><\/a><a href=\"\/en\/wiki-archiv\/kornelkirsche-cornus-mas\/\"><span class=\"art\">Archive<\/span><span class=\"n\">Cornelian cherry<\/span><span class=\"d\">The other tart wild fruit.<\/span><\/a><a href=\"\/en\/product\/hagebuttentee\/\"><span class=\"art\">Our shop<\/span><span class=\"n\">Rosehip tea<\/span><span class=\"d\">Wild fruit tea from our shop.<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<p class=\"ea-hinw\">Shop links lead to our product pages; it is indicated there if a partner is involved.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"ea-k ea-quellen\" id=\"quellen\">\n<h2><span>Sources<\/span>What is this based on?<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>In MF et al. <em>An Overview of the Phytochemical Composition of Different Organs of Prunus spinosa L., Their Health Benefits and Application in Food Industry.<\/em> Horticulturae 2024; 10(1): 29.<\/li>\n<li>Magiera A, Czerwi\u0144ska ME, Owczarek A, Marchelak A, Granica S, Olszewska MA. <em>Polyphenol-Enriched Extracts of Prunus spinosa Fruits: Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects in Human Immune Cells Ex Vivo in Relation to Phytochemical Profile.<\/em> Molecules 2022; 27(5): 1691.<\/li>\n<li>Commission E (BGA\/BfArM): Monographs <em>Pruni spinosae fructus (blackthorn fruits)<\/em> and <em>Pruni spinosae flos (blackthorn flowers)<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM). <em>Acute health risks related to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides in raw apricot kernels and products derived from raw apricot kernels.<\/em> EFSA Journal 2016; 14(4): 4424.<\/li>\n<li>Consumer Advice Center: <em>Hydrocyanic acid from flaxseeds, almonds, and other foods: A problem with dietary supplements?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Schlehe (Prunus spinosa) Botanischer Name Prunus spinosaRosengew\u00e4chse (Rosaceae), auch Schwarzdorn Verwendet wird Fr\u00fcchte und Bl\u00fctenFr\u00fcchte f\u00fcr Saft, Mus und Lik\u00f6r, Bl\u00fcten als Tee Geschmack Sehr herb, sauernach Frost milder und fruchtiger Herkunft Europa bis Westasienwild in Hecken und an Waldr\u00e4ndern Bekannt f\u00fcr Schlehenlik\u00f6r und Sloe Ginund dornige Hecken voller V\u00f6gel Saison Ernte Oktober bis DezemberBl\u00fcte<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10309,"parent":5278,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-10310","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edenshealth.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edenshealth.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edenshealth.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edenshealth.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edenshealth.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edenshealth.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10310\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edenshealth.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5278"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edenshealth.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edenshealth.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}