Rowan Berries.

[Woody girl]

I've bought rosehip syrup in ikea before now. It's much cheaper than healthfood shops... that is if you can even find it in them. Nowhere else seems to sell it.
I can't be bothered to make it anymore. My back has enough problems without standing there for hours trying to prepare the hips and making the syrup. Cheating I know but needs must sometimes.

 

[Janne]

They sell rh syrup now?
They used to sell the old fashioned/ classic r.h. drink and r.h. ‘soup’.

The ‘soup’ is an ancient dessert, Vit C. Before Vit C was invented they did various fruit desert soups..

 

[crosslandkelly]

Rosehip syrup was a wartime staple here. It provided much needed VitaminC in a land that doesn't grow citrus fruits.
Strangely the further north a fruiting plant, like rasps or blackcurrants or rosehips, grow, the higher the levels of VitaminC.
M

Sea Buckthorn berries were harvested here, as an important source of vitamin C. But as in the name, they are a coastal resource.
After eating the first few to get used to the tartness, they have a very pleasant flavour. I tried my first at the moot in '09.

 

[Fluffydave]

Here's a good article on Rowan, I've not tried any of them yet:

https://foragerchef.com/rowanberries/

 

[crosslandkelly]

Here's a good article on Rowan, I've not tried any of them yet:

https://foragerchef.com/rowanberries/

That's a good article, thanks.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Spent the morning straining the juice through coffee filters, (it strained much faster this time) but it didn't improve the clarity.
The pound and a half of berries and apples and the juice of a large lemon, have yielded a pint and a quarter of juice ready for final boiling.
According to the recipe I now add 15oz of sugar, then boil for 10 - 15 mins. Wish me luck.

 

[crosslandkelly]

The boiling and skimming off the scum has improved the clarity no end. Now I hope it's reached setting point.

 

[crosslandkelly]

All done now. I think they look pretty good, taste test tomorrow.

 

[Toddy]

That's the stuff Looks clean and shiny too and isn't the colour good ?
I hope you enjoy the taste, I think of it like a homegrown bitter marmalade sort of thing..

I might persuade Himself to pick some of our Rowans this afternoon. I have masses of apples and pears just now to use up. I think the jelly made with apples is much much better than that made with only Rowans.

M

 

[crosslandkelly]

The smell of it makes me think it will be good on cheese and crackers, that's my plan for later.

 

[Woody girl]

That looks lovely.
I'm glad to know about the coffee filters not making much difference. I was set to buy some, but as I don't have coffee it would have been a waste of money for me. As I said someone gave me that tip but I'd never tried it due to lack of filters.
I'll stick to my jelly bags.

 

[Robson Valley]

You can buy the food substance in wine shops to clear that flocculated cloudiness.
Mix it up, stir it in and wait. Pulls it all to the bottom.

 

[SaraR]

I love rosehip soup in winter! But DH prefers blueberry soup, so we usually have that.

In kindergarten, we used to go out once a year and pick enough rosehips for the cook to make her own soup. There was a certain amount of itching powder being sourced by us kids at the same time.

 

[Janne]

I have never tasted home made rosehip or blueberry soup. Only the commercial one.
My kindergarden or school cooks were just 'food warmers'.
Mandeltorsk, remember that one?

Or tasted homemade whatevertheyrecalled tiny bisquits ( almondey) you put inside.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Very pleased with this, delicious.

 

[Janne]

Wallace&Grommit cheese?
Looks truly delicious. Excellent 'gelling'!

 

[crosslandkelly]

Wallace&Grommit cheese?
Looks truly delicious. Excellent 'gelling'!

Thanks, the cheese is Wensleydale.

 

[plastic-ninja]

The smell of it makes me think it will be good on cheese and crackers, that's my plan for later.

Very good with cold cuts from roast lamb, or with pheasant and partridge. My Gran used to make jars of it when I was a kid.

 

[SaraR]

I have never tasted home made rosehip or blueberry soup. Only the commercial one.
My kindergarden or school cooks were just 'food warmers'.
Mandeltorsk, remember that one?

Or tasted homemade whatevertheyrecalled tiny bisquits ( almondey) you put inside.

It's actually really easy, especially with frozen blueberries and you can decide how much sugar/sweetening you want.

Do you mean mandelbiskvier? That's what we used to get in the rosehip soup.

I haven't had mandeltorsk in years!

 

[Janne]

Yes, mandelbiskvier...
I need to try to make blueberry soup, here we can buy frozen ‘real’ ( not the tasteless US blueberries which are a different berry) blueberries.

I did find a recipe for Mandel torsk ( Almond Cod) so made it.
Was not bad, but there are better ways to cook cod.

Mom used to serve Rowan-apple jelly, Apple sauce or Lingonberry sauce with every meat dish.