Title: Speierling
Categories: Info Fruit German
Yield: 1 Servings

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Speierling = Sorbus domestica L. (a very seldom tree)

Family: Rosaceae

Eberesche (Vogelbeerbaum) = Sorbus aucuparia L.

Other German names for Speierling: Aschritze, Atlitzen, Escheri(t)ze, Escheritzen, Grivellbaum, Nonnenbirne, Schmerbirne, Sorbenbaum, Sorb”pfel, Sparbe, Sparle, Sparwe, Sperbe, Sperbel, Sperber, Sperberbaum, Spierapfel, Spierbaum, Spierling, Zarfe, zahme Eberesche, zahme Vogelbeere, Hausvogelbeere.

other languages: Service tree, sorbier, sorbo domestico, serbal comun

one book: light-yellow flowers in May-June other book: white-reddish flowers in May-June

The green-based yellow, yellow with red cheeks, reddish-yellow or reddish fruits are pear-shaped, and 3 cm large (a little more than 1 inch). Besides pear-shaped, they can be ball-shaped or (seldom) apple-shaped. The fruits are not yet edible if they are ripe, they must be overripe.

When the Speierling trees are young, they grow very, very slowly. Speierling trees can get a few hundred years old. The trees can became 8-15 meters high. Speierling trees become very old in Corsica, where the climate is as the Speierling likes, there were trees of 20 m height with a diameter of 4 m when they were about 500 years old, they do not get as old in Germany.

Speierling trees grow very slowly and need sunny slopes and fertile and deep calcium soils. The region where I live is too rough (although it is not rough at all) for this tree.

It is unknown whether wild Speierling trees are really grown wild or whether they are part of rests of old Speierling-tree-cultivations.

Many 100 years ago peoply made from Speierling fruits a sour wine of inferior quality. And not so long ago people made from ripe (not yet edible) fruits an adstringating tea against diarrhoea.

Speierling Must of ripe Speierling fruits is being added to apple juice or pear juice in small quantities to improve the fruit wine. The high rate of tannin guides the process of fermentation, gives a good aroma, clarifies the wine and prevents the wine from getting bad too soon.

Anne

From: Anne Caldas Date: 26 Feb 97 National Cooking Echo Ä

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