Follow our quick and easy Rowan Berry Jelly recipe. Rowan trees are easily seeded and are commonly found all over the UK. The bright red berries look delightful on the branches of the tree and are great for anyone wanting to try out foraging.
The berries are extremely bitter when consumed raw and while they aren’t poisonous can cause stomach upset so avoid eating them without cooking first.
It’s said that Rowan berries are best picked after the frost, however, leaving them too long and the birds will surely eat them all up. Harvesting them and putting them in the freezer will have the same effect and concentrate the sweetness.
How to make Rowan Berry Jelly
Ingredients
- 2 kg rowan berries
- 1.8 kg cooking apples
- Granulated sugar
Method
- Start by prepping your rowan berries. All the stalks and greenery should be removed and the berries rinsed. Next move onto your apples, these should be peeled, cored and quartered.
- Place both the rowan berries and apples into a large pot and add water to just about cover the fruit. Make sure not to cram the pot too full as there should be enough room to allow the berries and apples to reach a nice rolling boil.
- Once the pot is boiling, turn the heat down to low and let the fruit simmer for around 20 minutes or at least until the fruit is soft and easily broken apart.
- Mash the mixture in the pan and transfer the mixture to a jelly bag to allow it to drain overnight. Let the mixture drain naturally into a new clean pot, if the bag is squeezed to get more juice out this will result and a cloudy jelly.
- After the mixture has finished draining you should be left with a juice that is ready to be measured out. Once the juice is measured, weigh out the correct amount of sugar to match the amount of juice.
- Add the juice and the sugar to a clean pot and simmer for around 10 minutes or until all the sugar is dissolved.
- Once all the sugar has gone set the heat to high and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Test for a set by placing a small amount on a cold plate, if it starts to set quickly and wrinkles when pushed, the jelly is ready to be stored.
- The mixture should be poured into hot, sterilized jars and sealed. Leave in a cool, dark spot for a good set.
- Once the Rowan Berry Jelly is fully set you can add a nice little label to the jar as a finishing touch.
If the jar is unopened the jelly should last round about a year. Once it is opened, make sure to keep it in the fridge.
Send someone a rowan tree gift and get them on their way to growing and making their own fresh rowan berry jelly at home
