Rowan Berries

sounds complicated to me David.

After removing all the berries from their stalks, the most time-consuming part is letting the cooked berries strain through a muslin cloth, which takes hours! But worth it! :-))

you must be very talented and patient David,

I didnt know you could eat Rowan berries, or is it a special type.

me toooooo!

I always thought they were poison good luck with your jelly looking forward to seeing it.

Well done David , they look beautiful an amazing colour , will you be putting crab apples in for the pectin ? I must try this . I have a recipe ,for it .....
I was going to make rose hip syrup last year but then was put off as it sounded as though it only kept for a week in the fridge , I believe the Rowan Jelly will keep for a year , can you tell me if that's right David ... my recipe says 1 kg rowan berries / 1 kg crab apples / 1.5kg Gran. sugar .. is yours the same ?

The wild Mountain Ash/Rowan berries, despite being red, are wholly edible, but must be cooked first, somehow, of course!

Me, Yorkshire? Probably have too much spare time on my hands - LOL!!

You guessed it all in one, Amy!! Freezing the rowan berries buys me time to look for some crab apples. I do know of two trees in the countryside around here, Thank Goodness! Wonder if the rose hip syrup can be frozen, once made? Have just been preparing elderberries for freezing, and was thinking of you and your elderberry syrup!!!!! Yes, rowan jelly, once in jars, will keep for at least a year (some sources will say 2, but have never tried, as doesn't last a few months here, lol! The weights you mention are roughly correct, and some recipes use this 1-1-1 ratio, as it is easy to remember. What I do is; after straining, measure the liquid in the pan, and, for every pint, I add 1lb of sugar - but then, I have a sweet tooth!!
Not being one to follow measurements to the exact oz/gram, however, I just scoop out the first pint, then, using my mind's eye, guesstimate how many pints are left, then add my guesstimated quantity of sugar!!! :-D))

In the past, I've tried adding a dash o' whisky before jarring up, but, as so little can be added without messing about with the "setting" process, not worth it.

I serve this, instead of "traditional" cranberry sauce, over the Festive Period, with pork or poultry. (one good reason for us to be looking forward to C*******s. :-))

Thanks for the info David . you might like to know that my recipe does say that you can use the cores of Brambly apples for the pectin if you can't find crab apples .. yes I've been picking Elderberries ,the syrup really is good for colds , I freeze it in ice cube trays then you can take out a cube when you need it each day , it badly stains whatever it touches,so be warned !! :o-))

Amy I used to make lots of rose hip syrup and it kept for as long as home made jam. I can't find my recipe but here is a familiar sounding one from HF-W Rosehip syrup Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall The Guardian, Saturday 21 October 2006 Article history Rosehip syrup is dripping with vitamin C and has long had a reputation for keeping colds at bay all winter. Far from being austere, though, it has a surprisingly tropical tang, with notes of lychee and mango. Diluted with about five parts cold water, it makes a delicious cordial drink, which kids will love, and a fantastic autumn cocktail for grown-ups. It's also an indulgent alternative to maple syrup on ice cream, waffles and pancakes.

1kg rosehips, washed and chopped
1kg caster sugar
You will also need a jelly bag (or a clean cotton cloth and a big sieve)

Put two litres of water in a large pan and bring to the boil. Throw in the chopped rosehips, bring back to the boil, then remove from the heat, cover and leave to infuse for half an hour, stirring from time to time.

Strain the mixture through a jelly bag. (Alternatively, line a colander with a couple of layers of muslin and place over a large bowl. Tip in the rosehip mixture, and leave suspended over the bowl.)

Set the strained juice aside and transfer the rosehip pulp back to the saucepan, along with another litre of boiling water. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat, infuse for another half an hour and strain as before. Discard the pulp and combine the two lots of strained juice in a clean pan. Bring to the boil, and boil until the volume has decreased by half. Remove from the heat.

Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Return to the stove, bring to the boil and boil hard for five minutes. Pour into warmed, sterilised jars or bottles and seal.

Do not try to hurry the straining process or you will make the finished article cloudy. I used a jelly bag suspended from a broom handle which in turn were suspended from 2 kitchenchairs.
The Government used to get school children to pick the hips during WW11 to provide much needed Vit C because of the impossibility of getting oranges. .

David I am curious, or rather "nosey" do you do a lot of cooking, seems like it to me,

Thanks Scotsgran .That is kind of you :o) I have a jelly bag ! I often turn a stool upside down and hang it from the legs to strain the juice ....... I have copied this recipe , I'm not sure when I will get round to it as I have several things on the go at the moment plus I managed to pick the Rowan Berries today ..... I Might have to freeze them as David suggested as we are going to visit our son later in the week .... :o))

Many Thanks, Scotsgran, for adding this recipe here!!! Will be adding this pic, and thread, to the Goypedia "Recipes" page now, for ease of access.

Hi Amy! Today. I have spent hours separating eloderberries from their stalks, so am wise to the stains, lol!!! Got 1.35kgs of berries yesterday, from a 15mins picking "spree" at "The Haven" (my other garden). After several washes and steeps, followed by a 1 minute blanch in boiled water, followed by a douche in iced water, I now have several "punnets" in the freezer, preserved in a "syrup" made, very quickly, from 4 parts water and 3 parts sugar.

Yorkshire - this may answer your query - LOL!!! Yes!!! Cooking is as much "up there" for me, as gardening! Which is why I am desperately awaiting an allotment! I would defintely have a boundary hedge of rowan, elder, blackberry, dog rose, et al. They would bring in the birds, to devour the pests, give them some late summer/early autumn food, as well as providing fruit/ meals for ourselves. :-))))

Stunning Photo David and sounds delmmmmmmmmmmmmious.:)

I'm slowly catching up with photos but must admit when I saw the thumbnail I thought you had put on a photo of baked beans! Now I am envious that you so have many rowan berries and I have none. Hopefully my little tree with bear blossom next spring and continue on from there :) I didn't know you could use the berries either.