Sweet, tart, piquant, and bitter – you can find all these flavors in the unusual yet delicious Rowan Berries Apple Jam.
Rowan Berries Apple Jam
Hello, my friends! I’m super excited now. There are three main reasons. First of all, that’s the Thanksgiving weekend in Canada meaning it’s a long weekend too. Secondly, over the last couple of days, I have consumed a lot of sugar (In form of cakes, chocolate, and ice cream), and I think my body is experiencing a sugar overload. Last, I am so pumped (Or is that still the sugar overdose?) to share this Rowan Berries Apple Jam with you.
It always feels good when you can introduce a new ingredient to your readers. And I believe while many of you might have seen Rowan trees and berries before (They are rather common in Europe, particularly in Britain and Scandinavia, Nort America, and Asia), not many of you have tried them. As the matter the fact, I’ve just discovered that Rowans are actually a fruit, not berries.
Alternatively, you might have tried them once but immediately sworn you won’t do it again. The reason is simple: raw berries are bitter. Highly bitter. Think of a combination of grapefruit and tonic water. Of course, there are different kinds of Rowan trees, so the level of bitterness can vary, from very mild to extremely strong. It’s believed that Rowan berries are slightly poisonous when consumed raw due to one acid, and they can cause nausea and upset stomach. But trust me, raw berries are not so enjoyable to eat a lot. The trick is that when you cook berries, the toxic part of that acid disappears. Also, when cooked, the bitterness if not completely goes away, becomes pleasant. Cooked berries remind cranberries a little bit.
It is also considered that you should harvest berries after the first frost as they reduce bitterness. I didn’t want to wait so long because of the competition (Some birds love Rowan too). Instead, I put some in the freezer overnight, and I think that trick worked too. Another way to reduce the bitterness is to combine berries with other fruit. A quick research on the Internet showed that Rowen berries are delicious when combined with apples. As you can see, I didn’t hesitate to make this Rowan Berries Apple Jam. It turned scrumptious! Sweet, bitter, and unique. It’s good on a toast or as an addition to a cheese board (Pretty good with Brie!)
So I am hoping this post would encourage you to give Rowan berries a try. I also froze a large container of berries, so I will be able to enjoy some vitamins during autumn and fall. If you need some more inspiration – well, stay with me because I will post two recipes soon. In a meanwhile, you can make this Rowan Berries Apple Jam.
But please hurry – bird won’t wait for you :)
Cheers!
Notes
havocinthekitchen.com
Ingredients
- 2/3 - 1 cup Rowan berries (Start with 2/3 cup if you have never tried them before), preferable frozen in the freezer overnight
- 3 medium sweet&tart apples, cubed (about 4 cups, honeycrisp or similar flavor would be a good choice)
- 1 cup fine sugar
Instructions
- Place the berries and apples (you can peel them but I didn't) in a pan. Add 1-2 tbsp. water and the sugar.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, for about 25 minutes or until the berries and apples are soft.
- Off heat and let cool. You can leave jam as it is or puree (using either a blender or sieve). For this version, I pureed the jam, but then I returned some of the skins for an extra texture and flavors.
- Keep the jam in a container refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.
- Enjoy!
Hi – I’m Ben, a blogger, recipe developer, and food photographer. I’m glad you’re here! I hope you will enjoy hundreds of delicious recipes and a pinch of havoc in the kitchen.
I’ve never eaten these, but have styled with them because of their bright, vibrant colour! Next time, I’ll have to do double duty and whip up a batch of this jam. I bet the apple really rounds out the bitterness of the berries. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving :)
I always thought Rowan berries were poisonous to humans and only birds could eat them. Well, that’s what I was told anyway. So you’ve woken me up to the fact that’s not true! So you cook them and the toxic part of the acid disappears. As well as the bitterness. I learn something new every day. Thanks Ben! Now I look on Rowan berries in a whole new light!
Ben, I like you’re taking a classic European berry and introducing it to your readers. We have three huge rowan berry trees just out front. Our first frost is coming any day, after that we’ll be picking. Although they make a great jam for serving with wild game, ours is going into making some Rönnbärsvin (Rowan berry wine). But if we have any leftover berries, we’ll give your rowan berry apple jam a go. It looks yummy.
Interesting! I’m not familiar with Rowan berries, but I can see how that would combine well with apples. Are they kinda like cranberries in tartness? Either way, I’m all about homemade jam, and a piece of toast or English muffin topped with homemade jam is how I like to roll! Happy Thanksgiving, my friend!
I’ve never even heard of rowan berries! I just googled pictures of the trees and you’re right–I think I am familiar with rowan berry trees. I just never knew you could eat their fruit! Now I want to get my hands on some so I can try your jam. It sounds delicious! Happy Thanksgiving, Ben!