Rowanberries

[Polecat]

Has anyone got any recipes which use rowanberries; There's a real bumper crop of them out there.

I believe it's best to combine them with apples, as this takes away some of the bitterness that can otherwise be present.

Can you make cordial out of them? Would you want to?!

Anyone know how this is likely to taste?

 

[gregorach]

"the bitterness that can otherwise be present"



Sorry... Yes, they are quite bitter. There are plenty of recipes out there, mostly for jellies and jams of one sort or another, usually involving crab apples - but you will need plenty of sugar to take the edge off. The flavour of rowan berries is actually very pleasant if you can balance out the bitterness - and horribly, face-meltingly vile if you don't.

I have plans to brew some beer bittered with rowan this year, if I can find the time in my brewing schedule... I've heard of people making a cordial from the flowers, but not from the berries.

 

[Toddy]

I'm fond of Rowans, but most folks find them incredibly bitter.
That said, they are like Elders, every tree is slightly different.

I make Apple and Rowan jelly, it's traditionally used with meats like venison, goose and duck.
We just use it like marmalade tbh.

Some of the Rowan recipes posted on the forum I find too bitter. Traditionally we don't use nearly as much a weight of Rowans to Apples.
Here's the recipe I posted on a thread a while back, and the links to a couple of threads with good information on Rowans too.

Rowan Jelly:
Per kilo (about 2lbs) of apples add one large spray of rowan berries.
Wash fruit and leave wet. Cut apples into quarters or eighths, strip the rowans off their stalks and add to the apples in either a jelly pan or a big pot. Just cover, and no more, with water and slowly simmer the whole thing until the fruit is mushy.
Strain.
This really matters if you want jewel like clarity in your jelly. Strain thoroughly through a jelly bag or layers of muslin. Allow to hang until the juice stops dripping. Do not squeeze.
If you don't mind cloudy, just strain through a fine sieve.

To the juice add in proportion, 1ltr of juice needs a little less than a kg of sugar, and it can manage with quite a lot less if needed, say 800g. That's a pint to a pound for the imperialists.

Add sugar to juice in a jelly pan or heavy bottomed large pot and bring slowly up to the boil stirring to make sure the sugar dissolves. Then, stirring continuously, bring up to a gentle rolling boil for about ten minutes.. Remove any scimmings which form. Drop a little of the jelly on a cold plate to see if it's ready to set. Once the setting point has been reached, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Then pour into heated, sterilised jars and seal.

More rowans can be added if you really like bitter, but too many make a jelly that overpowers everything else.


http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42996
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25065

cheers,
Toddy

 

[R.Lewis]

I made a marmalade of sorts but I overloaded the Rowanberries to the point it was inedible! Far too bitter. Toddy's recipe above looks far better I must say.

May try that one myself, should have asked on here first. But its all part of the learning curve...

 

[Toddy]

If you still have your Rowan marmalade you can dilute it quite successfully by boiling it up with lots of apples and making new jelly from it.

I have tried other things with the Rowans, but apples win.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[R.Lewis]

OH! SWMBO threw it all out as was considered inedible.

 

[badgeringtim]

I have not had huge success with the jelly - it worked but i didnt like it o much, however i do use the berries in combination with others for making wine. They bulk out well without seeming to dilute the flavour and are dead easy to pick.
rule of thumb 4-5 pounds of fruit to make a (rich)gallow of wine, have at least 1/2 the dominant fruit ie elderberry or blackberry, then make up the rest with whats good that year, hawthowns, sloes, rowan etc..sugar too

Just google a few wine recipies and have a punt i would always make a few gallons cos if it works out well you'll want a bit of it
;-)

 

[Bigfoot]

I tend to use equal amounts of rowan berry and crab apples (or cookers if crabs can't be found), the apples have the necessary pectin to make the jelly set and I'm not sure if soft water (as I have here) needs that wee bit extra pectin.

 

[Stanleythecat]

If you still have your Rowan marmalade you can dilute it quite successfully by boiling it up with lots of apples and making new jelly from it.

I have tried other things with the Rowans, but apples win.

cheers,
Toddy

Hi Toddy

What would you call a spray in the grand scheme of things? Your recipe sounds the most palatable for the first timer! What would it be less than half as Bigfoot does?

Thanks

Leo

 

[Toddy]

The big spray has enough berries to fill my two hands (admittedly, they're small hands), probably about as many as would loosely fill a crusader cup or Ti mug, not packed tight.

All our Rowans are away or I'd go and weigh out the right amount for you.

Best advice is try it light, but if you fancy more tang, then boil up some more Rowans with just enough water to cover them, and strain them, add to the same weight of sugar and bring it to the boil. Add in the previously made jam and bring both back to the boil. Make sure it'll set and pour and jar as usual.

Too bitter, and folks do what R.Lewis's missus did; but get it right and it's better than marmalade and it's all home grown fruit

cheers,
M