Rowan jelly advice

[TFan]

I fancy making some Rowan jelly this year and have found a couple of likely recipes. However I have read that there are different varieties of Rowan and the berries of some are not as nice as others. Can anyone tell me which berries would be the nicer to use and how to tell the varieties apart?

Thanks

 

[Toddy]

Tbh I think by the time they're jelly it's much of a muchness.

Don't just use Rowans, they are far too bitter, even for folks who mainline marmalade

Apples, any apples, mixed with them, make a much nicer preserve

cheers,
Toddy,

 

[TFan]

Thanks for the advice. I knew about the apples and have access to some cookers as well as having found a good source of crab apples.

 

[Harvestman]

I've made rowan jelly with just a few apples, and not worried about varieties. It always came out fine. I like it best as a cranberry sauce substitute.

 

[Toddy]

Rowan jelly here is used like marmalade on toast (oranges don't grow here, but the rowans certainly do ) or with meat like venison, or duck and goose. It's also very good on oatcakes with cheese

I've used the rowans to make sweet chilli style dipping sauce too.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[R.Lewis]

I tried last year to make some. Needed more Apple I guess as was unbearably bitter! And I like bitter Marmalade normally.

 

[Toddy]

There's one tree near me that I know is swersh (dry, bitter, harsh, doesn't translate well) and that one I only pick a few berries from. The others are more than fine though

Found an old link to this topic.....
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-33062.html

cheers,
Toddy

 

[v-ness]

Toddy, I would love to get my hands on your Rowan Sweet Dipping Sauce

I love the Thai sweet chilli one and would love to try my hand on making a local version

Cheers
Ness

 

[FGYT]

Rowan jelly on toast mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
its not bitter its an after taste all its own


would like a sweet dipping sauce recipie if possible PppppppeeerrrrrLeasee xxxxx

 

[kennyboy]

Sweet dipping sauce? THAT I would love to try.
Will you post your recipe?
Please Toddy, pretty pretty please.

 

[v-ness]

Thanks to Toddy I have 3 jars of Rowan Dipping Sauce cooling tonight and first tests confirm its totally delicious!!!

So here is Toddy's Recipe copied for those that were interested in it as well

I take 1 mug of rowans, 1 mug of water and 1mug of apple juice (or just roughly chop up some apples, crabs or eating or windfalls or pears, they work too)
Simmer the whole lot until the tattie masher can press it down to mush.
Strain through a sieve to take out the heavy bits, and then strain through the sieve again but lined with a couple of kitchen towels.
This last straining is easier done overnight. The house smells good and the juice is clear.

I like taste with the heat, so I'm fussy over the chillis I use. I think any kind will work though, and I can't see why ground stuff shouldn't if you can't get fresh ones easily.

I slice three wee long chillis from the tip to the green part and scrape out the seeds and discard them. Then I slice again into the length of the chilli to make long strands, then cut them across to make tiny wee slivers. (If you're going to whizz it all in a processor this hand cutting isn't needed, I don't make enough at one time to be bothered having to clean the jug and blades)
Add chilli pieces to the juice.
Finely crush a peeled clove of garlic and add that too.

There are two ways of making the syrup. Traditionally the syrup was just liquid and sugar and boiled down until it thickened. This is very stable and long lasting but as much fuss as making jam set.
Commercially they just use cornflour.
Both work, and I'm inclined to do a kind of mix.

I add another mug of apple juice and two of sugar to the juice I've made and bring the whole lot to the boil.
You could use a mild vinegar, like rice wine or a sweet cider ?
I simmer it until I'm scunnered looking at it and then I have a quick test to see if it'll set. If it goes crinkly on the surface when a dribble is put on a cold plate it doesn't need the cornflour.
If it does ( or you just want to try it quickly) add two pudding spoonsful of cornflour to a bit of apple juice or vinegar and stir that into the juice. Remove from heat and stir thoroughly.

If it's too runny, it's still good to use, it just needs a good shake before it's poured to mix the chilli and garlic through the liquid.

It's a very forgiving recipe, and very adaptable.
It's a housewifely one
Basically use what you have to hand
The last batch I made I used Lidl's apple juice. It tastes great but it doesn't set well, I think they add something to stop the pectin thickening the juice....maybe
Thank You Toddy :You_Rock_ :You_Rock_ :You_Rock_

Cheers
Ness

 

[Toddy]

Oh, so glad it worked for you

A lot of my recipes are a bit of 'by guess' and 'by that looks about right'

I like the rowans in this one, it's lovely dribbled over stir fry and it's excellent with mini indian snack things as well as spring rolls or deep fried battered chicken, pork, pineapple or haloumi pieces.

Told you, housewife at heart

atb,
M

 

[ged]

What exactly is 'scunnered'?

 

[Toddy]

Ah, my Scots is escaping again

Scunnered means to be fed up, tired of, had enough.
It can mean annoys.
"Would that no' scunner ye?"
To be thoroughly scunnered means to be truly irked and irritable.

I just meant it that when I'm fed up stirring and itching to get the stuff finished.

It doesn't translate well; it's an emotion wrapped up in a situation

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Brewers Whoop]

Ah, my Scots is escaping again

Scunnered means to be fed up, tired of, had enough.

It doesn't translate well; it's an emotion wrapped up in a situation

cheers,
Toddy

Not so sure Toddy, I think it translates really well. It's one of those brilliant Scots words that immediately conjure up - even to us Sassenachs - a mental picture of exactly what they mean. 'Dreecht' and 'Stocious' are two more examples that spring to mind.

Apologies for mini thread highjack. Dipping sauce recipe will be tried tomorrow.

 

[Toddy]

The dreich word is a pan northern seas one apparantly
I was in a field in Latvia on a very grey, damp overcast day, and I said that it was dreich; the Danish lady next to me agreed and used a word that sounded like drachs, and the Swedish lady next to her nodded and agreed, and added another similar toned word as well the Peruvian girl just looked baffled

cheers,
Toddy