Rowan Berries

[Mikey P]

There are a shed load of Rowan Trees (often known as Mountain Ash) where I am, and there are Rowan berries galore.

I have read that you can make Rowan Jelly but there is little information on which types of Rowan berry you can use. I suspect that for preserve making, you can use any sort but I'm looking for confirmation.

There is an 'edible berry' variety - normally, Rowan is very acidic and bitter raw and I suspect that this is just a milder variety that is slightly more palatable. However, I'm am certain that the Rowans near me are not of this variety.

So, the question is, can I use my Rowan berries for Rowan Jelly before they rot!?!

 

[torjusg]

I can't really say I have heard of several varieties of rowan. Rowan berries are best harvested after the first frost, since they become sweeter (really, less bitter) then.

Rowan berries are very bitter, but that is what gives the gel that special sour-sweet taste. The few who makes it here uses it along with meat, but most uses jam from the "lingon" berries (Swedish name) for that purpose over here.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[spamel]

And I believe i have Lingon growing in my local woods here in Germany. Is it better known in UK as Cowberry, Vaccinium vitis-idaea?

Also, what is the process of using this for preserving fruit as I seem to remeber RM refers to it in his Bushcraft series? I will have to watch it again, that'll P the missus right off!! She's sick of me watching Extreme Survival over and over again 'cos I just got hold of a copy of it!!

 

[torjusg]

And I believe i have Lingon growing in my local woods here in Germany. Is it better known in UK as Cowberry, Vaccinium vitis-idaea?

Also, what is the process of using this for preserving fruit as I seem to remeber RM refers to it in his Bushcraft series? I will have to watch it again, that'll P the missus right off!! She's sick of me watching Extreme Survival over and over again 'cos I just got hold of a copy of it!!

Yep, that is the one. I think you just can mix them with the other berries.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[Mikey P]

The recipes I've seen are using rowan berries along with water, sugar and crab apples. I think crab apples are used because they contain a lot of pectin which will 'set' the preserve. The recipe I saw was at: http://thefoody.com/preserves/rowanjelly.html

As there don't seem to be any crab apples around here, I might try ordainary apples and buy some pectin.

I think I'll take the advice and wait for the first frost - unless the berries start to rot before that happens...

 

[Toddy]

I make Rowan jelly every year. If you like the tang of marmalade you'll like Rowan.
It doesn't need to be crab apples, any apples will do, but if you make jelly *just* from Rowan it's very dry/bitter. Rhubarb, gooseberries, pears can all be usedas well as apples.
The Rowans flavour and colour the jelly.
Traditionally it's also used with dark meat like venison and pheasant and it *cuts* the grease from duck and goose.
Since you're making jelly the fruit doesn't need to be peeled or cored and the rowans just need to be pulled from their stalks and washed. They are fine to use as soon as they get a rich colour in them.

Wash fruit and just cover with water in a big deep pan. Slowly bring up to a slow simmer and let it simmer slowly until the fruit is pulped. Strain overnight through a jelly bag.
Measure liquid and use 1kg of sugar to each litre of juice. Return to pan and bring up to a rolling boil. Boil for about half an hour, maybe a little longer, until a little sets when put onto a china plate.
Pour into cleaned and gently warmed jars, seal.
It's good stuff even makes a pleasantly sharp drink if a couple of teaspoonsful are diluted in hot water, at least as good as lemon tea

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[British Red]

Got to give that a go this year - there are just so many of them - thanks Toddy

Red

 

[spamel]

Sorry, going back to the Lngon, could I use this in pemmican, and if so how do I dry it out? I imagine the Rowan could also be used, I'm sure I've seen some around here but the berries seem to be very orange?

 

[Toddy]

Spamel I think that the Lingonberry is what I know of as a cowberry.

http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Vaccinium+vitis-idaea

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/wildlife/flowers_cowberry.html

If it is the same thing then it can be dried out like elderberries in a very slow oven or squished into a pulp and spread out and dried into a fruit leather.
They're relatively rare around here.

atb,
Toddy

 

[spamel]

Yes, I looked it up in one of my books earlier, I just had no idea whatsoever on how to dry them out. It looks like I will be taking my kids to pick Cowberries next weekend!

I thinkRM talked about serving it with meat aswell. I take it I just mash it up and then strain the lumpy bits out?!!!

 

[Toddy]

To serve it with meat it's usually turned into a kind of jam. To make jam....Pick the berries, wash thoroughly and weigh them while still dripping wet. Put into a heavy bottomed pot and slowly bring to a simmer, add the same weight of sugar as fruit (best if the sugar is warmed gently in the oven first), raise temperature and bring to a boil. Stir to stop jam sticking. As soon as teaspoonful *crinkles* on the surface when pushed witha careful finger after being spooned onto a plate, it's ready to *set*. Pour into gently warmed jars and seal. ( Or a bowl if it's not likely to last long )

There's nothing bad in the berries (occasionally you'll find a maggoty one), the skins aren't tough and the seeds are tiny so no need to strain them out unless folks have false teeth.

atb,
Mary

 

[Mikey P]

I make Rowan jelly every year. If you like the tang of marmalade you'll like Rowan.

Nice one! I'll let you know how it goes.

Cheers,

Mike

 

[laurens ch]

I found adding mixed spice seems to do a good job of getting rid of that sharp aftertaste

 

[Biddlesby]

I make Rowan jelly every year. If you like the tang of marmalade you'll like Rowan.

Toddy, you must have quite a larder come winter time! Most wild foods mentioned here you seem to make something annually from them!

 

[Toddy]

Well, it gets kind of crowded; stuffed to be honest but I am trying to cut down, we just don't eat as much since the boys grew up and my "gathering and feeding the five thousand" habit has got to stop. I quietly hibernate through the wet cold days of winter, and it's a treat to open up a jar of summer or even a bottle of rich, mellow something or other hedgerow
Besides, I've been doing it for a while, so I do know a lot of recipes. It's fun to try new things though. This forum is a great blessing that way; interesting folks with a *huge* range of interests :You_Rock_

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Dunelm]

The rowan berries have really come out in the last few days. I was in Cumbria (Langdale, Grizedale and Borrowdale) last week and they were still orange but the ones over this side of the Pennines are bright red. I havn't got time to do anything with them so I think I'll leave them for the birds.

 

[spamel]

I've just been out with the kids stalking deer, trying to teach them "quiet mouths, quiet feet!" They're sort of getting the hang of it, we crept to within 10 metres of a little roe deer that was hiding behind a bush in the woodline before it got up and ran off!!

Also, whilst we were out, we spotted lots of Boletus mushrooms, collected a handful for trying later and we also collected some lingon! It takes a bit of gathering, and it hurts your back if you're bending over a lot, but the kids enjoyed it a lot and we are going to try making some of Toddys' jam with them.

Just one query for Toddy though, when I simmer the Lingon, do I need to put any water in with them aswell? Or do I just heat the berries up in the pan and then add the sugar? I'm a bloke, that's my excuse anyway!!

 

[Toddy]

Just the water that's still on them once you've given them a wash. Heat them slowly and the juice begins to run. If you weight out the sugar and have it warming gently in the oven it doesn't chill everything down when it's added to the fruit.
Cheers,
Toddy