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Anyone got a good recipe for Rowan Jelly, is it nice and worth the effort? Is there anything else you can make with Rowan?

Just made some rowan and apple jelly, I haven't had a chance to try it with meat yet but have had a taster.
It is quite sharp/dry despite the apples which supposedly make it sweeter.
I have recipes for both rowan jelly on it's own or with apple if you want them let me know and I'll dig them out.
I made 2 jars but I think one may end up given away for xmas, won't make a final judgement until I have tasted it in context.

Fill a big pan with rowans and some cut up apples. Pour in some water (enough to nearly cover) and boil to a pulp. Take your time.

Strain through a jelly bag. Do not squeeze! Or through muslin; hang it a day or wo to let it all slowly strain out.

Add sugar in the proportion of 1 pound per pint of juice. Boil to setting point, and pot up as for any jelly.

Rowan jelly is fabulous, absolutely great. A marvellous accompaniment for dark meat and game.

Rowan also makes a good wine; the most enthusiastic proponent of rowan wine that I know is Gil over on Downsizer, ask him and I'm sure he can sort you out with a fine recipe.

I am going to try Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's recipe when I manage to source some crab apples (any ideas??).

This is out of his River Cottage cookbook....

Rowan and/or Crab Apple (and other fruit) Jellies
Pure rowan berries give the jelly a distinctive woody flavour and a beautiful amber colour but it can be on the syrupy side. It will set firmer, and have a slightly tarter flavour, if combined in a 2:1 ratio with crab apples.

The same procedure can also be followed for rosehips and sloes, again adding half as many crab apples or cooking apples by weight if you want a jelly that sets well. Jellies made from crab apples only, or from blackberries and elderberries need much less water (just enough to get the juices going) as they will gice out plenty of liquid of their own. The basic principle of measuring the liquid and then adding the appropriate amount of sugar works well for all wild fruit jellies.

Ingredients:
at least 1kg Rowan berries
Crab apples
sugar

Method:
Remove the berries from their stalks and wash well.
Peel and roughly chop the crab apples, but leave in the cores; hey help keep the pectin level up, and any pips or course fibres will be strained out anyway.
Place fruit in a large heavy pan with enough water almost to cover it.
Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring occasionally and crushing the fruit with a spoon against the side of the pan, until the berries are very soft and pulpy.
Strain through a cotton cloth or jelly bag. (If you want a clear jelly let it drip through slowly).
Measure the juice, then transfer to a clean pan with 750g sugar for every litre of juice.
Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then boil rapidly, skimming if necessary, until you reach the setting point for jelly. (105 C on a sugar thermometer)
Remove from the heat and pour the jelly into warm sterilised jars, cover with waxed paper and lid.

Leave for a few weeks to mature before eating.

Hope this helps...

Just wanted to update.
I have now tried my rowan and apple jelly with both turkey and lamb and I'm now glad I made it.
It has to be tasted in context and having now done that I can say it is lovely

what do rowan berries look like?

Rowan is the posh name for the Mountain Ash. Small trees, bright red berries, narrow leaves. Google it if in doubt; there'll probably be loads of pictures on the web.

As a child, I was always told the berries were poisonous, so it is interesting to hear of these recipies.

i was thinking about that the other day while foraging most of the things I picked that day, as a child I was told that they were poisonous

these included
rowan berries
crab apples
bullace
sloes
dandelions- not that i use them much
haw berries
rose hips
elder berries

and poosibly any other thing that I asked if you could eat it. It is worrying how quickly this information is lost. Somebody said something about mushrooms and opium poppies - sorry wrong forum

rowan isnt good if eaten raw, but is great cooked aparently. I've not tried it myself but I'm going off a-foraging tomorrow so I'll bring some home.

i was also told that rose hips and crab apples were poisonous.

And that rosehips split open were a good substitute for itching powder. Did anyone ever itch from it? or was it all psychosomatic?

the.fee.fairy wrote:And that rosehips split open were a good substitute for itching powder. Did anyone ever itch from it? or was it all psychosomatic?

That takes me back - I remember being told the same. I don't know if I ever tried it or it was tried on me; too long ago now

su wrote:

the.fee.fairy wrote:And that rosehips split open were a good substitute for itching powder. Did anyone ever itch from it? or was it all psychosomatic?

That takes me back - I remember being told the same. I don't know if I ever tried it or it was tried on me; too long ago now

I think this is to do with the tiny hairs on the husks of the seeds. Apparently they can also irritate your gut, so you need to remove the seeds before you eat them.

Rowan is bad for you if eaten raw as it contains parasorbic acid, which cause integestion and can lead to kidney damage. cooking and freezing neutrlises it, making them safe. I think that maybe where the picking them after thefirst frost comes from.

elderberries are also not good eaten raw, a fews fine. I believe they contain something very simular to cyanide but that is destroyed by being cooked

I've made some wicked rowan and apple jelly and some rowan relish.
The rowan and apple jelly goes really well with cold meats, but i especially like it with Cheese.
The relish is also delicious, great on cheese sandwhiches

Rowan Relish Recipe

750g Rowan Berries
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of Garlic, roughly chopped
Large pinch of chilli or hot paprika
4 large cooking Apples, peeled, sliced and cored
2 tsp ground Ginger
200g Demerara sugar
3tbsp Malt Vinegar

Wash berries and remove an rotten ones...then...

Put onion & garlic in a medium-sized pan, then add the rowan berries and an equal quantity of cooking apples. Almost cover the contents with water, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 30 mins until it starts to soften.

You should be left with about 1 litre of pulp. Add the ginger, chilli, vinegar and sugar, and simmer for a further 20 mins until the relish starts to set. Test by pouring on the back of a chilled spoon - if it runs off, it isn't ready! Pour into dry, warm jars, seal and store in a cool, dark place.

Delicious served with cheese, meats or gravy