The fruit is edible but highly bitter, causing you to pucker your lips when you eat it. Therefore, people usually wait until after the first frost or when the skin is wrinkled and the pulp is mushy, for a delightful taste.

It is sometimes used in making wine. The bark is a source of an astringent compound that is used in medicine, to check for discharge of blood or mucus. 

The dark brown wood is very strong, hard, and heavy. It is used for specialty items such as golf club heads. It is not considered economically-important, because it yields an inferior grade of lumber.