Today's recipe is a fantastic traditional recipe, loved by millions over the centuries, not only as an accompaniment for hot and cold meats, or as a jam used in all the usual ways, also as a farmhouse traditional sore throat remedy that might jsut actually help the rheumatism as well in the cold months of winter.
Sounds like something that came out the back end of a cow I hear you say, but no it isn't. Big Pharma aren't allowed to patent natural growing plants, so they disregard them as a whole medicine and only use the parts they can synthesize and patent namely the chemicals. These are pretty much the same no matter how you package them only this way they taste better.
Now let me make this perfectly clear right now !!! I am NOT a qualified herbalist, or biologist or anything else with a fancy name or letters after it. What I do is read. ALOT. I read about things I don't know about and I use the books that universities use as thier textbooks and encyclopedias and internet sources and professinal sources for my information. I do not in anyway suggest you forgo seeing your GP or a qualified Herbalist as listed by NIMH. I am not saying ignore thier advice what I am saying is talk to them and see if you can use this in conjunction or instead of other medications that may not be necessary as this might work better than a strepsil and is half the price of a packet of them.
Personally for years I have had serious issues with my tonsils including 74 quinzies and uncountable numbers of tonsilitis. Yes I still have my tonsils and I will keep them as they are the first line of defence of your immune system and if they are inflamed there is a reason. Of course I reckon smoking for the last 22 years hasn't helped, but stop yelling at me i went cold turkey 6 weeks ago and haven't looked back. So NER!!!! Anywhooo I used to find that when "the scratch" used to appear a spoonful of this jelly used to help me out enormously!!! and in most cases a teaspoonful a day would do. Considering the choice between that and the pills they give you at the docs when you have a throat that won't swallow water, horses would bolt at the size of them!!!
The biggest thing I love about remedies like this is you don't realise it's medicine and nor do children if you handle it right. If your kids are used to your homecooked foraged recipes they won't even blink an eye if they come into you and you give them a piece of soft bread and butter with a spoonful of this on it and they will be more than happy to suck it on down.
Anywhoo I feel I must explain how this is possible and how it works ... you know the science of it .. well here is the easiest explanation I could find.
Rowan or Mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia) is a
species of the genus Sorbus, native to most of Europe except for the
far south, and northern Asia. In the south of its range in the
Mediterranean region it is confined to high altitudes in Balkan
mountains. The red-orange rowanberries are ripening in from
July to October.
Rowanberries are rich source of antioxidants. An
investigation of rowanberry flavonoids showed the presence of rutin,
quercetin-3-glucoside and quercetin-3-D-galactoside. Quantitative
analysis of berry flavonoids showed quercetin-3-D-galactoside as a
major compound, being 24.55 mg/kg fw (2).
Human food
Rowan or Mountain Ash fruit / berries are too
astringent - unpleasant are not suitable to be eaten raw. The fruit
(berries) of Rowan can be made into a slightly bitter jelly but also
marmalade and juices. The fruit (berries) have many uses eg. to
flavor liqueurs and other alcoholic beverages.
Rowan berries contain sorbic
acid, an acid that takes its name from the Latin name of
the genus Sorbus. The bitterness is coming from parasorbic acid which
causes indigestion and can lead to kidney damage. It is important
that berries are cooked in order to remove bitter taste. Cooking
removes parasorbic acid making rowanberries edible.
Medical uses
In traditional medicine, the ripe rowanberries are
made into a decoction used as a gargle for sore throats. The berries
were used as a treatment for scurvy because of their high vitamin C
content. A decoction of the bark is said to be good for diarrhea.
So there you go there is the science and now onto the recipe and the fun stuffs with lots of piccies!!!!
Crab Apple and Rowan Berry Jelly
Ingredients
Equal measure of Crab Apples and Rowanberries
Juice of a lemon
Sugar
Put Rowan Berries in pot no stalks or leaves, 1/2 lemon juice, and just cover with water.
Bring to boil fast and keep cooking until the berries are really really soft
Repeat this process for the Crab Apples
Place the Rowan Berries in a jelly bag or like we did in a piece of muslin or similar and hang over a bowl for about 4 hours.
Repeat for the Crab Apples
Mix equal amounts of the juices and add 1lb (450g) sugar for each pint (600g) of fluid in a pot
Stir on heat until completely dissolved
Cook fast til setting point is reached
Skim froth from top and seal in jars
We have 4 litres of the Crab Apple Liquor left so we is out tonight getting some more Rowan Berries before they are all gone to make some more!!! I am wanting to have 5 jars to sell at the market in the next month or so. We shall see how we go.
Have fun today no matter what you are doing
xox Love and Light xox
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