One of the amazing fruits that needs to be talked about is the rowan berry which is because of it's importance to health and it's beneficial nutrients to the body thereby making it a good option of fruit to include in your diet for a more healthy living. Therefore, in this guide, you will be able to learn and understand the following after reading this article:
- What are rowan berries
- Is rowanberry good for you
- Rowan berry health benefits
- Nutrients in rowanberry
- How to eat rowanberry
- How to make rowan berry jam
What Are Rowanberries?
Rowan berries are the fruit of the rowan tree, a small tree or shrub that goes by the name mountain ash, although they are from a different family than true ash trees. Rowan berries are small round fruit, distributed in clusters, and obtained from the tree which belongs to the family of Sorbicaceae and is native to temperate regions of the northern part of the globe. The berries are fairly large and glossy, deep red or orange when ripe of which they are bitter and astringent when eaten raw.
However, once cooked or fermented it reduces the bitterness as they are useful in jams, jellies, sauces or wine and schnapps. Although these berries are bitter when fresh, rowanberries are rich in vitamin C, and the juice obtained from this fruit has always been used in traditional medicine for a number of diseases. This explanation is all about the answer to the question, what are rowan berries? which you will definitely like to know before going further into this article about the health benefits of rowanberry.
Is Rowanberry Good For You?
Of course, rowanberries are good for you and can benefit the body by several ways but at the same time has some drawbacks. It can very well be incorporated in to a healthy diet plan provided they are eaten appropriately. Just like any other fruit, it is more important to moderate the consumption and also understand how this wonderful fruit can be processed or prepared before eating for maximum health benefits.
Rowanberries or mountain ash berries as many would call it have a lot of health benefits which make it good for your body due to it's various nutritional contents that can be vital to the proper function of the body and the immune system. This amazing fruit can be prepared and used in different ways such as in jams, jellies, syrups, and alcoholic beverages like wine and liqueurs. They are rarely eaten raw due to their bitterness. It is also rich in antioxidants which helps the body to fight free radicals and repair damaged cells. So with that being said, the question to is rowanberry good for you? is now clear with a positive outcome of this beneficial fruit.
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Health Benefits Of Rowanberry
Mountain ash or rowanberry contains a lot of important elements which make it to have some beneficial effects to health. Thus, here are some of the potential health benefits associated with rowanberries:
1) Rich In Antioxidants: Rowanberries contain a rich amount of antioxidants including flavonoids and phenolic compounds. These antioxidants aid in deactivating destructive free radicals present in the body hence decreasing the amount of oxidative stress and reducing the development of chronic diseases.
2) Vitamin C: Being rich in vitamin C, rowanberries also help in maintaining good immune system and skin health and is also an antioxidant.
3) Fiber: They provide dietary fiber that is essential in the improvement of digestive system, and also overcome constipation which can also work a miracle on blood sugar levels.
4) Minerals: Rowanberries also have some minerals such as potassium which assists in problems related with the heart and sustaining of good pressure.
5) Traditional Uses: Some parts of the rowan tree has been used to address ailments such as diarrhoea, sore throat, and inflammation in traditional medicine.
6) Anti-inflammatory Properties: Some research has shown that rowanberries offer an anti-inflammatory property, hence beneficial for managing ailments such as arthritis and other inflammation-related diseases which is among the top important health benefits of rowanberry.
7) Cardiovascular Health: The elements in rowanberries include antioxidants and potassium which makes it necessary for the management of cholesterol levels which are fundamental to the functioning of the heart.
8) Diuretic Effects: Rowanberries are also known to have rather weak diuretic action that has been proved to be useful in addressing issues with the kidneys and water retention.
9) Antimicrobial Properties: It has been emphasized that rowanberries could be used in the medical field as an anti-microbial and would help in preventing germs, bacteria, and viruses.
10) Cancer Prevention: Rowanberries include antioxidants and other phytochemicals, and this suggests that they could possibly have anticancer properties because of the oxidant-inhibition and anti-inflammatory functions which is obviously one of the top health benefits of rowanberry.
11) Respiratory Health: In the traditional medicine, rowanberries were used for the treatment of conditions such as coughs and colds; this could be through their immunomodulatory activity.
12) Bone Health: The rowanberries have other nutrients which are not any less important, they contain calcium and magnesium which plays certain role in the formation of bones and can help to avoid such afflictions as osteoporosis therefore, expanding further the rowan berry health benefits.
Nutrients In Rowanberry
Thus, rowanberries or mountain ash berries contain different types of nutrients. Here's a list of some key nutrients found in rowanberries per 100 grams:
- Calories: 52 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 11. 4 g
- Sugars: 4. 4 g
- Dietary Fiber: 3. 6 g
- Protein: 1. 3 g
- Fat: 0. 2 g
In addition to these macronutrients, rowanberries contain a variety of vitamins and minerals which can be seen below:
1) Vitamin C: Rowanberries have a lot of vitamin C thereby giving 25mg per 100 grams taken.
2) Vitamin A: They are source of small amount of vitamin A which is vital on the proper functioning of the eye and immune system.
3) Vitamin E: It has a little amount of vitamin E that assists in rectifying harms done to cells.
4) B Vitamins: The B vitamins present in rowanberries are thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, and folate.
5) Minerals: The amounts of minerals that can be obtained form rowanberries include potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron.
6) Antioxidants: They have substantial quantities of antioxidants like flavone and flavonols including quercetin and kaempferol and phenolic acids.
In general, the nutrients in rowanberry makes it an amazing health beneficial fruits and the inclusion into daily diets is good to the body as they are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and are as well relatively low in calories and fats which further shows rowan berry health benefits.
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How To Eat Rowanberry
Consumption of rowanberries should be carefully done because unripe and unsweetened berries have a rather unpleasant or bitter taste. Here’s how you can eat them safely:
1) Identify Ripe Berries: It is recommended the rowanberries are ripe before it is eaten. There are varieties of these fruit and when ripe, they are seen to be bright red or orange-red in color.
2) Remove Seeds: The seeds of rowanberry possess small percentage of cyanogenic glycosides and can release fatal element like cyanides when it undergoes metabolism. In small amounts it is not really a health danger but it is healthier to eliminate the seeds.
3) Preparation Methods:
- Cooking: They can be processed to a delicious jam, jelly or sauce since the raw fruits have a leathery skin hence need cooking. By cooking them, they lose that bitterness that is associated with them hence becoming sweet and easy to eat.
- Freezing: Freezing can also be used to help decrease the tartness you are hoping to achieve. When they have been frozen then they can be used wherever you want, in smoothes and other recipes.
- Drying: It is also advisable to dry the rowanberries and brew in teas or mix with other dried fruitages.
4) Safety Considerations: It would however be prudent to desist from consuming large amounts of raw rowanberries since they are extremely tart, and can contain small amounts of cyanide. Such risks are so minimized through cooking or processing them.
5) Recipes:
- Rowanberry jam: Mash rowanberries, put mix of sugar and water and cook until rowanberries become soft, take seeds and skins out, using a sieve.
- Rowanberry sauce: Boil rowanberries with sugar and a little amount of water until it turns into a sauce.
6) Pairing: Once again, the rowanberries are most commonly combined with other tastes so that the tartness is offsetted, or they are used with fruits that are sweet to complement the tartness.
Having understood how to eat rowanberry, it is always advisable to be very sure that the fruits you have harvested and are about to eat are really rowanberries. If you are still in doubt or are not certain, it is advisable to seek advice from a local person or a relevant guidebook to determine their authenticity as well as their edibility.
How To Make Rowan Berry Jam
Rowan berry is definitely a tasty berry and it is ideal for making jams; this is why making rowan berry jam is a great idea and another way to gain from rowan berry health benefits. Here’s a simple recipe to make rowan berry jam:
Ingredients:
- 1kg of fresh rowans berries which is about 4 cups of rowans berries.
- 500g or 2 1/2 cups of granulated sugar.
- 500 ml or 2 cups of water
- 1 lemon fruit juice only
- Optional: 1 teaspoon of butter to reduce foaming
Instructions:
1) Prepare The Rowan Berries: It is recommendable to wash them under cold water, then remove any stems and leaves, and sort out any berries that are more battered or damaged than others.
2) Cook The Berries: Put the rowan berries that are washed in a large pot and pour in sufficient water. When the liquid comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low or low and let the berries cook for about 20-30 minutes, or until the berries get soft and their skins begin to crack open.
3) Strain The Mixture: After the berries are soft, transfer them to a plate and then use a potato masher or the back of a spoon, mash the berries to get more juices out of them. That is to say that, after the berries have been cooked, using a fine mesh sieve or a food mill, drain the berries to pull the pulp away from the seeds and skin and squeeze as much liquid as possible from it. This is an important process on how to make rowan berry jam.
4) Prepare The Jam: Pour back to the pot the strained berry liquid and pulp and next stir it together while adding the sugar and the lemon juice. Stir very well to combine.
5) Cook The Jam: Simmering of the mixture is done over medium heat until it starts boiling. Stir the mixture from time to time to avoid sticking and burning. If required you can also put one teaspoon of butter in order to avoid excessive foaming at this stage.
6) Check For Setting Point: Simmer the jam for roughly 15-20 minutes of time up to when the setting point is achieved. To check the setting point, put a small portion of the jam on a chilled plate and try to spread the layer of the jam with your finger. If it forms a wrinkle and retains the said wrinkle then the jam is ready.
7) Sterilize Jars: During the process of the jam preparation, you should also get ready where to put the jam of which you need a jar and the lid which must be cleaned in hot water with soap and then left in the oven at 120°C (250°F) for about 10 minutes.
8) Fill And Seal Jars: Once the jam has reached the setting point, the hot jam is then put into the sterilized jars leaving about one-fourth inch of headspace. Using a clean cloth dampened in water, clean the rim of the jars to get rid of residue. Put the lids on it and twist the bands to make them as tight as you can to avoid unwanted particles getting inside in order to maintain the health benefits of rowanberry contained.
9) Store The Jam: After putting the jam in a jar, let the jar cool down to the room temperature completely. It is recommended to keep the jam in a cool and dark area of your house. Upon opening, please keep the product in the refrigerator for better preservation.
Finally, you have your jam ready and you can serve your home-made rowan berry jam with bread or toast, scones or any pastry or cake of your choice for your pleasure.
Summary And Takeaway
In this guide, we discussed about virtually all the important aspects of this amazing fruit called rowanberries or better known as mountain ash which is full of many beneficial nutrients to health. We talked about the nutrients in rowanberry, how to eat rowanberry, is rowanberry good for you, how to make rowan berry jam, health benefits of rowanberry as well as what are rowan berries. This guide gives in detail all of the above while explaining rowan berry health benefits which is the most important part of this article.
Of course, this amazing fruit is believed to manage different health issues and help improve various health conditions which were all explained in this guide of which the nutritional content of this fruit shows that the body can benefit a lot from it if eaten in the proper way. Overall, even though rowan berries are healthy for consumption but the golden rule of the consumption of any food is to eat or take it in moderation to avoid having an overdose which may result in side effects. Therefore, rowan berries should be taken moderately to get the best benefits and to avoid any kind of side effects.
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