Plants With Red Seeds You Can Eat That Are Sour

Gooseberry

• Gooseberry plants produce large, globular berries that, when ripe, have sour skin and sweet flesh. Ripe gooseberries can be eaten raw and unripe berries can be used for cooking. The two species of gooseberries are American gooseberries, or Ribes hirtellum, and European gooseberries, or Ribes grossularia. Gooseberry plants prefer rich, loamy yet well-drained soil and do well with a layer of mulch. The plants are susceptible to mildew, so plant in areas with good air circulation.

Red Currant

• Red currant plants, or Ribes rubrum, produce large, bright red berries. The University of Minnesota Extension describes red currants as "very sour." Plants prefer cool climates, shady spots and moist soil. Currants can be used to make jellies and jams or eaten raw when ripe. Common, productive red cultivars include Rovada, Red Lake and Wilder. Plants can grow from 2 to 5 feet tall.

Highbush Cranberry

• Highbush cranberry, also called American cranberry or Viburnum trilobum, produces dark red berries that ripen in September. The University of Minnesota Extension describes raw berries as "sour and bitter," but cooked berries can be used to make sauces or jellies. This deciduous shrub can grow up to 12 feet tall. Plant highbush cranberry in sun to partial shade in well-drained soil. Plants do not thrive in excessively wet spots. The domesticated hybrid of the highbush cranberry is often used in landscaping, but its berries are purely ornamental; only the native species produces edible berries.

Pin Cherry

• The pin cherry, also known as the fire cherry or Prunus pennsylvanica, has highly toxic leaves and stems and edible fruits. This deciduous tree produces small, bright red berries that, according to the University of Minnesota Extension, have "sour, thin flesh." Berries ripen in July and August. Ripe berries can be used to make jams, jellies and wines. Pin cherry trees can grow up to 40 feet tall and prefer sunny spots.

Chokecherry

• The chokecherry, or Prunus virginiana, is a deciduous shrub or tree that grows from 3 to 20 feet tall. After blooming in early summer, the tree produces clusters of shiny, red berries. The University of Montana-Missoula describes chokecherries as "edible but astringent and often cause the mouth to pucker or choke." Chokecherries can be used to make jam, jelly, cough syrup and wine.