Barberries: What It Is, How to Use It and Substitutes
What are barberries?
The common barberry (Berberis vulgaris) grows wild in Europe and western Asia and is often planted as a thorny shrub in hedges and gardens. The berries sold for cooking come almost entirely from Iran, where a seedless variety is grown in South Khorasan province around Birjand and Qaen. The berries are harvested in autumn and dried in the shade or in the sun. They are hardly bigger than a grain of rice and so sour that nobody eats them on their own. If you have a barberry in the garden, note that only the ripe berries are edible. The bark, roots and leaves contain the alkaloid berberine and are considered poisonous.
Flavour and uses
Dried barberries taste as sour as lemon with a hint of redcurrant. Their acidity balances sweet and rich dishes. The best-known dish is Zereshk Polo, saffron rice with chicken, scattered with the berries. To prepare them, soak them in cold water for ten minutes, then toss them in butter with a little sugar for one to two minutes. No longer, as they burn quickly and turn bitter. In Keshmesh Polo they go well alongside the raisins, and in Apricot and Almond Pilaf they can replace some of the dried fruit. They are also good in herb omelettes, salads with feta and stuffings for poultry. A spoonful is usually enough, as the sourness is strong.
Buying barberries: what to look for
You can buy barberries in Iranian, Afghan, Middle Eastern and Turkish grocers, often under the name zereshk. Health-food shops and spice merchants sell them in small packs at higher prices, and they are easy to find online. Good berries are bright to ruby red. Dark, almost black ones are old or were dried too hot and taste dull. Pick through the berries before cooking: small stalks and grit are normal even in good quality.
Storage and shelf life
In Iran barberries are kept in the fridge or freezer, because at room temperature they darken after a few weeks. In a sealed bag in the freezer they keep their colour and sourness for a year. They do not freeze into a block, so you can take them straight from the bag.
What can you use instead of barberries?
For 2 tablespoons barberries, roughly chop 2 tablespoons dried cranberries and sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Cranberries are sweetened, so leave out the sugar when you fry them. Halved dried sour cherries also work and are tarter. In summer you can scatter fresh redcurrants over the finished rice. They burst easily, so add them only when you serve.
