Orange Rowan Berry Jam

Sweet, tart, fresh, and with a pleasant hint of bitterness – that’s what you can expect from this tasty and unique Orange Rowan Berry Jam.

Hey, folks! I hope you all are well and enjoying the last summer days.

Today, I am thrilled to share with you a unique recipe ingredient that you probably did not know you can use in cooking. I am talking about rowan berries and this delightful Orange Rowan Berry Jam. Let’s dive in!

What Are Rowans?

Rowans are shrubs or trees in the genus Sorbus, in the rose family Rosaceae. If you live in North America, particularly in Newfoundland and Labrador, you may also hear the name dogberry (which is the species called American Mountain-ash; it is the same family). While rowans and mountain-ashes are considered ornamental trees, not everyone knows that the berries are edible.

Are Rowan Berries Edible?

Well, if you Google this question, you will find quite a few “no”, which is partly true. This statement comes from the fact that when consumed raw, the berries are not palatable, as well as the fact that in the raw state, they contain cyanogenic glycosides, which are common in other related plants in the Prunus/Rose family, e.g., cherries, apricots, and almonds. Cooking denatures the glycosides, making the fruit completely safe to eat.

They are also edible raw in small amounts. But honestly, I doubt that anyone can eat more than a few raw berries at once. As I said, they are bitter. Depending on the variety of a tree, the bitterness could vary from moderate to very strong.

How to Reduce the Bitterness in Rowan Berries?

The tricky part is to wait as long as possible before picking the berries. While they become red or orange sometime in mid-August, you should wait until September or longer. When ripening, their bitter taste diminishes, as well. Indeed, it is often considered that they are at their best just after the first frost. However, you can have a huge competition – birds – so sometimes you can’t wait.

Hence, there is a trick to place freshly picked berries in the freezer overnight. This will not completely remove the bitterness, but it will become significantly milder and more pleasant.

Health Benefits and Side Effects

Rowan berries are not just delicious, they also pack a nutritional punch. They can boost your immune system, increase metabolism, strengthen the respiratory system, improve digestion, and reduce the risk of various infections.

However, remember that raw berries contain the acid and the cyanogenic glycoside, which could cause indigestion and kidney problems. The good news is that heat treatment or freezing transforms para-phenylenediamine into harmless sorbic acid.

Anyway, I strongly encourage you to do your research and consult with your physician to determine whether rowan berries are good for you.

What is the Taste of Rowan Berries?

As mentioned earlier, raw rowan berries have a unique taste profile – bitter and astringent. Cooked or frozen, they transform into a fruitier, more pleasant taste. Their tangy, slightly bitter profile is often compared to cranberries, with subtle citrus undertones. When made into jams or jellies with sugar and other fruits like apples or oranges, the flavor becomes a balanced mix of sweet, tangy, and subtly bitter, creating a unique and exciting taste experience.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Orange Rowan Berry Jam

Hence, the combination of orange and rowan berries is nice and balanced in this recipe. To make Orange Rowan Berry Jam, you will need the following ingredients:

• Rowan Berries – When foraging, always go for the bright red or orange berries as these are ripe and will come away from the little twigs easily. Also, collect them in the forested areas far from roads. Next, freeze the berries overnight or up to 24 hours. This step will reduce bitterness and neutralize harmful para-sorbic acid and cyanogenic glycoside.
• Oranges – Their citrus flavour goes well with subtly bitter, citrusy notes of rowan berries. They are also high in pectin – a natural gelling agent helping jams to thicken. That’s why this recipe does not call for additional pectin.
• Sugar – Use granulated sugar as the sweetener.
• Orange Liqueur – This is an optional ingredient, but it adds a little something special.

How to Make Orange Rowan Berry Jam?

That’s easy.

Forage, clean, and freeze some rowan berries. Freezing will reduce bitterness and neutralize harmful para-sorbic acid and cyanogenic glycoside. Then, combine the frozen berries with orange juice (with pulp), sugar, and water and simmer for a while.

More Recipes with Rowan Berries

And be sure to check more rowan berry recipes:

• Rowan Berry Tea with Honey and Orange
• Rowan Berry Apple Jam
• Rowan Berry Cocktail (Halloween Cocktail Recipe)
• Rowan Berry Syrup (And How to Make Rowan Berries Less Bitter!)

I hope you enjoy this Orange Rowan Berry Jam and will give this recipe a try. If you try it, please let me know in the comment section below, send me an Instagram message, or share your photos by adding the hashtag #havocinthekitchen.

Cheers!

Orange Rowan Berry Jam

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

Sweet, tart, fresh, and with a pleasant hint of bitterness – that’s what you can expect from this tasty and unique Orange Rowan Berry Jam.

Course: Sweet Spreads and PreservesDifficulty: Medium

5.0 from 1 vote

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3

cups

Cooking time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Preparation

24

hours

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 5-6 medium navel orange (about 150-170 g each) – about 2 cups (480 ml) juice and pulp

• 1 cup (about 125 g) freshly picked Rowan berries – See Notes

• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar – See Notes

• a generous splash (2-3 tbsp. or 30-45 ml) Orange liqueur like Triple Sec – optional

Directions

• First, you need to pick rowan berries; cut clusters of berries from trees and knock to remove insects, then wash and pick off stems. When foraging, always go for the bright red or orange berries as these are ripe and will come away from the little twigs easily. Also, collect them in the forested areas far from roads.
• Freeze the berries overnight or up to 24 hours. This step will reduce bitterness and neutralize harmful parasorbic acid and cyanogenic glycoside.
• Wash the oranges, then roll them firmly across a kitchen counter with your palm to break down the fruit’s cell walls, which helps to release more juice. Cut the oranges in half horizontally. Using a citrus reamer, a manual juicer, or citrus press, extract the juice with pulp from each half.
• Place the frozen rowan berries (no need to thaw them) and orange juice (with pulp) in a heavy-bottomed pot.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow to gently simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20-25 minutes, until the berries have softened; mash them using a potato masher.
• Add the sugar, stir, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 45-60 minutes, until the berries are soft and the jam has thickened. While cooking, try and, add more sugar if needed.
• At the end, if desired, stir in a generous splash of orange liqueur and cook for a minute, then turn the heat off.
• Remove the jam from the heat and let cool. You can leave jam as it is or pulse it slightly with an immersion blender, for a smoother texture.
• Keep the jam in a container or jar refrigerated, for up to 2weeks. To extend the shelf life, can the jam; however, keep in mind that this recipe is low in sugar, so it will have a shorter shelf life compared to high-sugar jams.

Notes

• While Rowan berries offer many health benefits, please note that raw berries contain the acid and the cyanogenic glycoside, which can cause indigestion and kidney problems. The good news is that heat treatment or freezing transforms para-phenylenediamine into harmless sorbic acid. However, I strongly encourage you to do your research and consult with your physician to determine whether rowan berries are good for you.
• Depending on the variety, bitterness, and ripeness of your Rowan berries, you can add more. I used about 170 g of berries for this recipe, as I prefer a more bitter jam. However, if you’re new to rowan berries, it’s always good to start with a smaller – like 1 cup or 125 g – amount.
• I generally don’t like overly sweet jams and add significantly less sugar to homemade jams. I found that one cup of sugar was enough for my taste. However, you may still want to add more sweetness to it, so please adjust accordingly.