It is not too late to make Rowan Jelly for Christmas. H picked a kilo of berries about three weeks ago. A couple of days later and a large flock of migrating Fieldfares returning from Scandinavia stripped both our trees bare. However, I have noticed that other people still have plenty of berries on their trees.
Fieldfare via
Rowan berries should be frosted before use because they contain parasorbic acid which is neutralised by frost and cooking. We had no frost so I placed mine in the freezer for a few days.
Cook equal quantities of berries and apples just covered in water. Do not remove the peel or the cores of the apples as this helps with the pectin. I also placed a couple of sprigs of Rosemary in the pan. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 15 mins until it is a mush.
Place it in muslin or a fine cloth to strain and drip. Do not be tempted to squeeze the straining fruit as it will turn the jelly cloudy.
Cook equal quantities of berries and apples just covered in water. Do not remove the peel or the cores of the apples as this helps with the pectin. I also placed a couple of sprigs of Rosemary in the pan. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 15 mins until it is a mush.
Place it in muslin or a fine cloth to strain and drip. Do not be tempted to squeeze the straining fruit as it will turn the jelly cloudy.
Measure the strained liquid and add sugar - e.g one pint of liquid add 600 grams sugar. The jelly has a slightly bitter flavour, taste it to see if you need to add more sugar. Bring to the boil and keep a rolling heat for 10 more minutes. Allow to cool a little and then place in sterilised jars. It has made a really firm jelly.
We were both feeling industrious - whilst I made Rowan Jelly, H made marmalade.
The jelly can be served with roast meats and game. Apparently it is also good smeared over corn on the cob, goes well with cheese especially Wensleydale, and can be added to gravy rather like a redcurrant jelly.
No chance to find this fruit here but this marmalade and jelly look so delicious! It could be a wonderful Christmas present too!
ReplyDeleteThe Rowan jelly is a lovely Christmassy red. H's marmalade is always delicious.
DeleteWhat a fascinating berry is the Rowan with its Christmas associations. The jelly looks and sounds very tasty and perfect for the Christmas meats. I wonder if I will ever see Rowan jelly in Australia. Perhaps not. That fieldfare looks like a very busy and determined little bird; no wonder they can strip the trees of berries!
ReplyDeleteDear Patricia - the Fieldfares stripped two trees bare within two hours, both of which were laden with berries. I expect they were hungry after flying over the sea.
DeleteHello Rosemary, What a beautiful color your rowan jelly turned out to be. If I am ever back in America in the late fall I will have to try this. I love a hint of bitter in certain fruits, so I am sure that rowan jelly would be a big hit. It would be interesting to try an all wild fruit combination of bittersweet, haws, and crabapples.
ReplyDelete--Jim
When I searched for a recipe for the Rowan Jelly I found a recipe for Hedgerow Jelly which had crab apples, blackberries, rose-hips, haws, sloes, elderberries or rowan berries, sugar, and then made in the same way as I made mine.
DeleteYou have made delicious jelly and marmalade !! I wonder which is the taste before they cook ...
ReplyDeleteAnd they have a light red color ,exactly for Christmas season ! Here there are no like these trees .
So sweet that your H helped you !
Yes, H makes all of the marmalade in our house, and very good it is too.
DeleteI've never used Rowans so will certainly try this, there are still plenty of berries out in the forest. Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteIt is a slightly acquired taste because of the bitterness, but enough sugar is the answer.
DeleteThey look lovely. Those trees can be grown down here, but I don't know of anyone who has one.
ReplyDeleteI like that little bird :) guess they have to eat something.
I think that the Fieldfares were very hungry as they had just flown over the sea, most likely from Sweden.
DeleteBeautiful glistening jars of jelly. The rosemary would have given the Rowan jelly another level of flavor! Great idea.
ReplyDeleteI must admit it does have a wonderful colour and looks very Christmassy.
DeleteDear Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteI like Rowan jelly, especially with game. Thank you for the recipe! When I make sirup and liqueur with sloe, I put them in the deep-freezer too - so one hasn't to wait that long.
We sometimes make sloe gin and it is delicious.
DeleteI'm laughing trying to see my DH in the kitchen making marmalade of all things - he just about boils water for a cuppa or the hot water bottles (yes, love those old-fashioned huggables in winter!). H is a keeper/treasure!
ReplyDeleteThe jelly looks amazing and I know must be tasty - with Wensleydale sounds good!
The fieldfare is beautiful, somewhat like a thrush or our thrasher over here. I've been feeding our garden birds (my last post on this) as it's cold now - they bring lovely color to the bare garden and make my heart sing.
Hugs - Mary
Dear Mary - H never did anything in the kitchen until fairly recently but now he is the main marmalade maker in the house, and he makes a good fruit crumble too. He was shamed into doing more by one of my granddaughters and now I think he quite enjoys the odd foray into the kitchen, and I am more than happy to oblige.
DeleteWhat a beautiful photo of the Fieldfare. We have flocks of them in the surrounding trees and hedges here helping themselves to berries.
ReplyDeleteI would love to try Rowan jelly so I'm going to find some berries and come back to your recipe and make some. It is still very much on my list to plant a Rowan tree here.
There are many varieties of Rowan Tree Wendy, so do check them out before you decide which one to plant. I do not know the name of ours, but they really come into their own in the autumn having the most wonderful coloured leaves ranging from deepest red to yellow.
DeleteSo pretty and I know delicious...can't wait to try my hand at this!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your visit, and kind comment.
DeleteI love eating Rowan Jelly with cheese but I confess that, like Paddington, I love marmalade on hot buttered toast more.
ReplyDeleteI haven't made any myself but was only saying to AGA the other week that I want to get my mum to show me how as she was something of a marmalade making queen in days of yore.
I agree with Wendy: That is a very nice photo of the Fieldfare. You have a good eye with such things.
Bye for now,
Kirk
I agree Kirk - homemade marmalade on hot buttered toast is great, but I have given it up at the moment in my new fitness regime. We tend to vary our marmalade, this time chunky orange, next time it will be lemon.
DeleteSadly the Fieldfare is not my photo, so there is no credit due to me on that one.
How lovely both your jellies are Rosemary. I have never heard of these berries. Perhaps we do not have them in the deep south.
ReplyDeleteI know that they grow in the northern states, but maybe it is too warm where you live Olive. They make a really red Christmassy jelly.
DeleteHi Rosemary, I have never even heard of Rowan berries, but how great that you made jelly out of them. Sounds like the jelly has an unusual and pretty interesting taste. I would love to try it! Wishing you a nice Christmas time! Warm regards,
ReplyDeleteChristina
Hello Christina - I think that the jelly may be a bit of an acquired taste, but I will know better when we have tried it with some cold meat or cheeses at Christmas. At the moment the jars remain unopened.
DeleteI enjoyed making redcurrant jelly earlier in the year.
ReplyDeleteLove the sound of the rowan with cheese. All I need now are some trees!
Jelly is a really satisfying thing to make. You imagine it will be more difficult than it is, and it looks good too.
DeleteI didn't know this..is this typisch English..
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the weekend in Kent...
Greetings,
Inge, my choice
It probably is an English recipe Inge - our weekend in Kent was 2 weeks ago now, and we had a very good and happy visit where we enjoyed celebrating my brother-in-laws birthday.
DeleteDear Rosemary,what a preety bird!!I love birds!!
ReplyDeleteYour jelly has a fantastic color!!I can't find this fruit here but this marmalade and jelly look so delicious! I
Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!Hope you have a nice evening!!
Dimi....
Thank you Dimi
DeleteSuch a beautiful color, Rosemary! I have never tasted Rowan jelly. Are you familiar with Victorian ironstone jelly molds? I can use my jelly molds to make this....would look so pretty!! Cheers, L
ReplyDeleteVictorian ironstone jelly moulds are lovely, you are very fortunate to have a collection.
DeleteThe trouble is we don't live near any wild rowan trees. They are all in gardens! I will keep my eyes open this week, though, just in case I see some for free.
ReplyDeleteIt does have a rather acquired taste Nilly - will be able to judge better when we try it out at Christmas.
DeleteDear Rosemary,
ReplyDeletePerhaps I've been living under a rock, but I've never heard of Rowan berries! Maybe they go by another name over here. Anyway, the jelly looks very good! And thank you for also introducing me to the fieldfare — I love the look of little birds when they fluff up like that!
Hello Mark - I know that they grow in Zone 3 from Montana to northern Wisconsin and central Canada. You probably know them more by the name of Mountain Ash. There the cedar waxwings love to eat the berries.
DeleteYes, now these sound familiar! Thanks for clearing that up.
DeleteIve never heard about these berries
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned to Mark you probably know them by the name of Mountain Ash trees, they do not grow in the southern states.
DeleteHow lovely to spend a day in the kitchen together :-)) My mother used to make rowan jelly when we were small.
ReplyDeleteIt is OK being in the kitchen together as long as we do not need the stove at the same time!
DeleteNot enough rose-hips left here to make this now, but I'll save the recipe to try next year. Somehow i think I'd be making it alone, as I'm the cook and jam-maker in this family. :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is rowan jelly Perpetua not rose-hip jelly but you have reminded me that I should also be using the rose-hips which can be made into a jelly in exactly the same way. Next year rose-hip jelly for me too.
DeleteSilly me! I meant rowan berries but just got muddled. :-)
Delete♥
DeleteI'm just making my winter marmalade and I put a jar of mincemeat into the mix near the end, there, my secret is out!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing - fantastic tip - when we make our lemon marmalade in the new year a spoonful of mincemeat will be added.
DeleteFieldfares have left our country and are now there with you, Rosemary. That jelly looks delicious. Happy weekend, Rosemary.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely thought Satu imagining that they have left you and come to visit me. When they return to you it will mean that the warmer weather is on its way to you again.
DeleteI learned something new again today Rosemary. Never heard over Rowan berries before :-)
ReplyDeleteWishing you a happy weekend!
Madelief x
Lovely to hear from you Madelief, and I hope that your concert goes well on the 21st Dec.
DeleteFrozen berries, original.
ReplyDeleteGreetings,
Filip
Yes, freezing the berries is important to neutralise the parasorbic acid.
DeleteFresh preserves! You have both been industrious. I love the colours, satisfaction and taste of homemade preserves. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThanks Karen - marmalade already being enjoyed, saving jelly for Christmas.
DeleteAn interesting post. I've not heard of this red Rowan berries before. The bird and this bright berries adds life and vibrancy to the winter landscape. Both the jelly and the marmalade looks yummy.
ReplyDeleteH is very pleased with his marmalade, but the rowan jelly awaits opening at christmas
Delete