The fruits are used to make strong alcoholic drinks and can also be used to flavor alcoholic drinks such as whiskey. In traditional medicine the fruits of the Wild Service Tree have been used for their astringent effects which are due to the high tannin content. Wild service tree represents the most valuable hard wood on European market. Nowadays the wood is mainly used for decorative veneers, but in the past musical instruments, billiard sticks and screws for winepresses are just some of the products made from it.
It’s good to freeze the fruits to make them edible. Therefore it is recommended to harvest fruits after the first frosts, because after freezing they contain less tannin and become pastier.
2) http://forest.jrc.ec.europa.eu/european-atlas-of-forest-tree-species/atlas-download-page/