Rowan berry recipe's please....

[ginger ninger]

I like snadger have found a number of Rowen trees near where i live, and not wanting to miss an opportunity to make the most of a freebie, would like some recipe's, jam's, jelly's.......WINE (not that i like a drink). So if any of you fine grapes have one or two up your sleeves, i would love to hear them... Thank You xxx

[COMPOST CORNER]

I made some Rowan berry jelly this weekend.
I used Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall's recipe, modified by a few found on the net to make rowan berry jelly.
Basically a couple of kilos of berrys and a couple of bramleys chopped, cores in to provide extra pectin, cover with enough water to barely cover the fruit, bring to the boil and simmer until the berries turn pulpy, (I mashed with a potato masher periodically throughout the simmer).
Next you need to strain the mush to obtain the liquid (overnight if you want a show winning clear jelly, or squeezed through to get as much as possible, no affect on taste. Use clean cotton cloth or a muslin jelly bag.
Then boil up the liquid with 750g sugar per litre of juice. I used jam sugar for even more pectin.Add the sugar to the warm liquid, stirring until it has dissolved, bring to the boil once all the sugar has dissolved and keep on a high simmer until the setting point is reached. Put a plate in the fridge when you start the boiling. put a small amount of the jelly mixture on the cool plate to test. If the jelly wrinkles when you pull your finger through it, it is ready to put into jars.
A bit bitter during the cooking process, but delicious on a bit of strong cheddar, or even to replace marmalade on toast.

Good luck.
Mine worked, and i have never done anything like this before.

[ginger ninger]

Thanks CC, i'll give that a go this weekend.

[Mac]

Hi all, that recipe sounds great. Could anyone let me know how to tell when Rowan berries are ready for picking? I've got loads where I am, but don't know how to tell when they are ripe. Same for Red Elders if anyone knows.

[PAULW]

I read that the berries are ready the end of September early October wonder if this is why CCs jelly was a bit bitter the berries have not ripened yet.

[COMPOST CORNER]

I read that the berries are ready the end of September early October wonder if this is why CCs jelly was a bit bitter the berries have not ripened yet.

I think Rowan are slightly bitter anyway. The berries I picked were soft and definitely ripe, on each tree about half of the fruit had already gone over and was over ripe.
I may try some more after the first frost, if there are any berries left to pick by then. We'll see.

[PAULW]

Thanks for that CC, I have been looking with interest at all the berries about as I drive around will have to stop and have a squeeze (early in the morning while nobody is looking)

[Skotch]

I remember reading somewhere recently that the bittery 'tang' can be eliminated by freezing the rowan berries for 24 hours - apparently it eliminates the enzyme that causes said bitter 'tang'

[annacruachan]

I remember reading somewhere recently that the bittery 'tang' can be eliminated by freezing the rowan berries for 24 hours - apparently it eliminates the enzyme that causes said bitter 'tang'

That's useful to know, Skotch. I shall try that for the rowans I use to make wine; sometimes the bitterness clears and sometimes it doesn't. Getting rid of it first off seems to be the right idea. Thanks.

[ginger ninger]

Have you got a Rowan Berry recipe for wine annacruachan?

[Scottishnewbie]

oh yes please! we have loads of rowan trees around us so that would be brilliant for me too!

[annacruachan]

Have you got a Rowan Berry recipe for wine annacruachan?

oh yes please! we have loads of rowan trees around us so that would be brilliant for me too!

I use the following recipe from CJJ Berry's book.

Rowanberry Wine (Med)

Rowanberries 3lb (1.5 kilos)
Red concentrate 1/2 pint (280ml)
Wheat 1/2lb (250g)
Sugar 3lb (1.25 kilos)
Water 1 gallon (4.5 litres)
Citric acid 1 tablesp
Yeast and nutrient

Pour boiling water over the berries and let it stand for 4 days, then strain
Put in the sugar, concentrate, acid and wheat and stir until sugar dissolved, then add the yeast and nutrient.
Leave to ferment for 16 days closely covered, then strain into fermenting jar and fit airlock.
When it clears siphon into bottles, corking lightly at first.

On the occasions when this has not been too bitter to drink it has tasted much like an Amontillado sherry and has quite a kick! I'm hoping to avoid bitterness this year by freezing them first.

[Scottishnewbie]

oh thanks for this, I'm going to give it a go. When do you pick your berries? If we frezze them do you think that might mean that we don't need to wait for the first frost then?

[annacruachan]

When do you pick your berries? If we frezze them do you think that might mean that we don't need to wait for the first frost then?

I picked my first berries yesterday and they are in the freezer ready for my attention tomorrow. I can't see any virtue in leaving them on the tree until the first frost. The birds will have had them by then! Those that I picked were certainly ripe so, if freezing them mimics the effect a frost would have, we get to steal a march on the starlings.

[CoraxAurata]

My freind and I have just picked a load of rowan berries, and on Sat/Sun after they have been in the freezer for the requisite 24 hrs we will attempt Rowanberry Chutney for which I have a recipe but have never attempted or tasted, if after making it looks good I'll post the recipe.... if anyone wants it?