‘Sour, said the fox about the rowan-berries’. This quote is from a fable of Aesop. A Greek author in the sixth century.

The English interpretation is: ‘The grapes are sour anyway’. In Sweden the grapes have been replaced with rowan-berries because grapes don´t grow far north.

It is easy to despise what you cannot get.

The rowan-berries are sour, bitter and tart, and I’m not going to make any rowan-berry jam this year. My rowan tree (Sorbus aucuparia) had dense clusters of showy white flowers in June, but there are not one, single berry up in the trees.

No rowans seem to produce any berries this fall. This European specie of mountain ash grows all over Sweden. Now, we ask ourselves, why are there no berries? Those who believe in signs of nature say, that if there are many rowan-berries, the winter will be harsh. Well, he who lives will see. I wouldn´t say no to a mild winter.

So, if you have been able to collect rowan-berries, this is a recipe for you.

INGREDIENTS:
* 2 l (2000 ml) rowan-berries, frost-tempered, rinsed and cleaned
* 4-5 apples, peeled and cored
* 6 dl (600 ml) water
* 1 ½ l (1500 ml) sugar
* juice of 1 lemon
* 4-5 cloves
* 1-2 tablespoons cognac
* a pinch of salt

METHOD:
1. Cut the apples into small chunks.
2. Put rowan-berries, apple chunks and cloves into a saucepan.
3. Add water, bring to a boil and cover.
4. Simmer until rowan-berries are soft (15-20 minutes).
5. Add sugar, stirring, until it is dissolved.
6. Simmer for 15-20 minutes more, or until the jam is firm.
7. Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
8. Furthermore, be luxurious, add a small amount of cognac. This jam is worthy of a good cognac.
9. Finally pour the hot jam into hot jars sterilized with boiling water. Close the jars with sterilized lids and let cool. Store the jam in the refrigerator.

Rowan-berry jam is a condiment that goes very well with with game, steaks and roast. The berries are nutritious. They contain apple acid, pectin, sugars, beta-carotene, Vitamin C and flavonoids that help to maintain the Vitamin C.

Thrushes and Bohemian Waxwings are very fond of rowan-berries. Sometimes bad berries ferment due to weather conditions. Birds that eat them get really wasted. Not a little tipsy, no. They get so sloshed, they can´t fly.

The best thing to do is to collect the berries when they ripen, and before the birds get them. Then throw cleaned berries into the freezer for 2 - 3 days. That also sweeten them up a bit because they are very, very tart.

If you are looking for some other rowan-berry recipes, please feel free to email me privately at kireneATspray.se. There are many other ways in which these berries can be used. In Sweden they are also used in making wine and liqueur.

Source: My Recipes