The clusters of bright red-orange berries on rowan trees signal the arrival of autumn each year. Beyond adding beauty to the landscape and evoking a nostalgic mood, these berries are a natural treasure with health benefits. Late August is the perfect time to gather these natural vitamins and prepare remedies that strengthen health. One such remedy is rowanberry juice. Read on to discover what makes it unique, how to make it, and the best ways to consume it.
Harvesting of Rowan Berries
You should rowan berries when fully ripe, with all the clusters turning a vibrant red-orange color. This period begins in late summer (the second half of August) and can extend to winter. Rowan berries are unique in that they remain on the tree and retain their nutritional properties even after the first frost. You can harvest them throughout this time.
Fresh rowan berries have an astringent, somewhat bitter taste. However, after the first frost, this bitterness fades. You can also reduce this bitterness at home.
If drying, it is best to harvest the berries with their clusters. Dry them by hanging the clusters in a warm, dry place. If you like to make strawberry juice, you should pick berries individually. Also, you can make juices from fresh, frozen, or dried berries.
How to Remove the Bitterness from Rowan Berries
Rowan berries contain a high amount of tannins, which gives them an astringent, bitter flavor. As mentioned, the cold naturally removes the bitterness, making the berries milder and more pleasant after the first frost. However, if you would like to prepare rowan juice sooner, you can reduce the bitterness with these methods:
- Before using fresh rowan berries, freeze them for a while.
- Prepare a hot (nearly boiling) salt solution with 1 liter of water and 25–30 grams of table salt. Soak the fresh rowan berries in this solution for 3–5 minutes. Before juicing, rinse the berries thoroughly under cold running water.
Rowanberry Juice Benefits: Strengthens Health and Treats Illnesses
Rowanberry juice is rich in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients essential for healthy body functioning and immune support. It contains up to four times more vitamin C than lemons. These juices also have vitamins A, E, K, and several B vitamins. In addition, it contains essential minerals, including potassium, magnesium, iron, and manganese, as well as trace elements like zinc, copper, cobalt, and iodine. Rowanberry juice is also rich in organic acids (such as citric, malic, and succinic acid), tannins, pectins, and fiber. Therefore, many of the nutrients in rowanberry juice remain stable even at high temperatures, so it retains its nutritional value even when preserved.
Rowanberry juice is a source of traditional medicine. Primarily, it serves as a multivitamin remedy that helps strengthen immunity aids recovery after illness, and provides energy. Folklore uses it to ease digestive issues, stimulate urination, treat hemorrhoids, and reduce bleeding. You can consume rowan berry juice with other juices (like carrot juice) or diluted with water. It can also be taken on its own, though only one tablespoon at a time, a few times a day.
How to Make Rowanberry Juice
Rowanberry juice can be made from freshly picked, frozen, or dried rowanberries. Generally, it is not consumed in its pure form, except in cases where it is used to treat specific ailments. In such instances, it is taken a few times a day, one tablespoon at a time. People more often mix it with other juices as a part of juice blends or an ingredient in medicinal teas.
Although rowanberries are not particularly juicy, it is still possible to extract juice from them. The juicing process will vary slightly, depending on whether you use fresh (or thawed) or dried berries.
If using freshly picked or thawed berries, first crush them thoroughly. A blender works best for this, although a slow juicer or another tool suitable for crushing berries can also be used. Pour the crushed strawberry pulp into a cheesecloth bag and squeeze out the juice firmly. Leave the bag hanging over a bowl to let all the juice drip out.
The process is essentially the same for juicing dried rowanberries, but the berries should be soaked in warm water before crushing.
The freshly made strawberry juice can be consumed immediately. However, it is more convenient to prepare a stock of juice and avoid making small batches of juice each time. The easiest way is to pour the freshly squeezed juice into small, freezer-safe containers and freeze it. Then, take it out of the freezer, thaw, and enjoy.
Thick Rowanberry Syrup for Winter
Preserved rowanberries retain most of their nutritional value. Although some vitamin C is lost, enough remains to keep rowanberry juice a good source. Using freshly picked rowanberries, you can make a syrup to enjoy throughout winter—perfect for colds or as a preventive health boost. You can add this syrup to tea, drizzle it over pancakes, mix it into drinking water, or eat it with a teaspoon daily.
For the syrup, you need:
- Fresh rowanberries
- Sugar (use 1 part sugar to 1 part berries)
Preparation:
- Prepare a rowanberry puree by thoroughly crushing the berries.
- Mix this puree with sugar, stirring well until combined.
- Place the mixture in a pot and heat it until just below boiling (do not let it boil).
- Pour the hot mixture into jars and pasteurize.
Pasteurization process: Place the jars with rowanberry syrup in a large pot, fill with water up to the necks of the jars, and heat on low, maintaining a temperature between 75–80°C (167–176°F) for 15–20 minutes (depending on jar size). Then, seal the jars tightly, cover them with a warm cloth, and let them cool to room temperature.
Warming Drink with Rowanberry Juice
Rowanberries can remain on the tree through winter. If you have a rowan tree nearby, you can pick the berries as needed to prepare this drink. Alternatively, use frozen rowanberries or previously prepared juice. This drink is especially beneficial at the first signs of a cold.
You need:
- A handful of rowanberries
- ½ lemon
- 2 teaspoons of honey
- Cinnamon (to taste)
- Water
Preparation:
- Extract the rowanberry juice (or use previously prepared juice).
- Finely grate the lemon zest and squeeze the lemon juice.
- Mix the rowanberry juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, and slightly warmed honey.
- Pour boiling water over the mixture and add a pinch of cinnamon.
- Drink hot.
Rowanberry Juice Is Not for Everyone
While raspberry juice is highly nutritious with healing properties, some people should drink it responsibly. The main risks associated with rowanberry juice are its interactions with certain medications and its effects on specific health conditions.
Rowanberry juice is not recommended for people taking blood-thinning medications or those with high blood-clotting levels.
People with high stomach acidity, stomach or duodenal ulcers, or during episodes of diarrhea should not consume these juices.
Rowanberry juice is not recommended for pregnant, breastfeeding women and children.
Sources:
- Bičkauskienė S., Kontrimas J. „Viskas apie sultis“. Vilnius, 1991, p. 21, 22, 64.
- https://www.medicina.lt/straipsniai/%C5%A0ermuk%C5%A1nis-vitamin%C5%B3-lobynas-sveikatai/14876
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10536293
- https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/index
Associative photos © Canva