30+ - Sloe berries

Sloe were used for food, dye, ink and medicine for millennia. Otzi the Iceman lived in the Alps, during the Copper Age, over 5,000 years ago. When his mummified body was found in 1991, sloe berries were found near him and in his stomach. It was the flint arrowhead in his back that killed him, though, not the sloes.

Sloes grow on the blackthorn tree in hedgerows. Their name comes from an Old English word, slah, that means blueish.

Sloes are rich in vitamins C and E and potassium, magnesium and calcium. Their phytonutrients are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. They can be supportive of oral, digestive, cardiovascular and urinary tract health.

They contain amygdalin which the body can convert to cyanide. Thus, in large quantities, they can cause digestive issues.

They are astringent and bitter and not nice to eat on their own. They are mostly known for sloe gin but can also be made into cordial, jams and chutneys and added to pies.