Rowan Berry

What Is Rowanberry (Üvez)?

Rowanberry is the small, round, orange-red fruit of trees of the Sorbus genus, belonging to the rose family. In Turkey it grows especially in the high, cool regions of the Black Sea and Eastern Anatolia.

Ripening in clusters, the fruits look like tiny apples; their taste is sour-astringent, and eating them raw is not recommended.

Nutritional Values of Rowanberry

No official/verified nutritional database record could be found for rowanberry while preparing this content; therefore no numerical table is provided. Its known components include vitamin C, carotenoids and sorbitol.

What Are the Benefits of Rowanberry?

Rowanberry has traditionally been consumed as jam, jelly and syrup; these products can be considered part of a balanced diet. There is no direct health-benefit claim for the raw fruit.

This information is general; rowanberry is a food, not a substitute for medical treatment.

How to Choose Rowanberry?

For rowanberry sold or foraged in clusters, glossy, firm and orange-red berries are preferred.

• Wrinkled, darkened or moldy berries should be discarded.
• Fruits foraged after the first frost are less astringent.
• If the cluster's stem is still fresh and green, the fruit has been picked more recently.

How to Store Rowanberry?

Rowanberry should be processed shortly after picking; it does not keep long fresh. It can be kept in the freezer for a few months, and freezing also reduces its astringent taste. Rowanberry turned into jam, jelly or syrup can be stored in a jar for months.

Using Rowanberry in the Kitchen

Rowanberry is not eaten raw; it is consumed after being frozen or cooked. Its most common uses are jelly, jam, syrup and liqueur.

How to Make Rowanberry Jelly?

Washed rowanberries are boiled in water and strained; sugar is added to the resulting liquid and it is brought to a jelly consistency with pectin. This jelly is especially served alongside game meats and cheeses.

Is Rowanberry Eaten Raw?

No, raw rowanberry contains parasorbic acid, which can irritate the stomach lining. Freezing, cooking or drying largely breaks down this compound, making the fruit edible.

Which Recipes Use Rowanberry?

Rowanberry jelly, rowanberry jam, rowanberry syrup and, in some regions, rowanberry liqueur are the best-known uses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is rowanberry eaten raw?

It is not recommended; the raw fruit contains parasorbic acid, which can irritate the stomach lining. Consuming it after freezing or cooking is safer.

When is rowanberry picked?

It is generally picked in September-October, after the first frosts; frost helps reduce the fruit's astringent taste.

Where does rowanberry grow?

In Turkey it grows in the high, cool, mountainous regions of the Black Sea and Eastern Anatolia.

Are rowanberry and hawthorn the same fruit?

No, they belong to different genera. Rowanberry belongs to the Sorbus genus and hawthorn to the Crataegus genus; although both belong to the rose family, they are separate fruits.

What is rowanberry made into?

Rowanberry is most often made into jelly, jam and syrup; in some regions it is also dried and kept for winter use.