Rowan Berry Chutney

Making rowan berry chutney couldn’t be easier and it tastes delicious served on the side with roasts etc, slathered onto sandwiches and wraps and of course with a cheeseboard or sharing platter.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Rowan berry chutney is really rather special and not something you’ll find in the shops.
• Who doesn’t love a good foraging recipe and this rowan chutney is a great way to use those lovely rowan berries you’ve gathered.
• It’s easy, my rowan berry chutney recipe couldn’t be easier to make.

I love foraging and rowan berries are always on my gathering list. I’ve used them to make everything from my classic rowan berry jelly (with added rosemary), a deliciously different rowan berry gin, rowan jam and a rowan jelly with redcurrants. Now it’s time to get savoury with this easy rowan berry chutney recipe which I’m sure you’ll love.

Rowan Berries

The rowan tree (Sorbus Aucupria) grows all over the UK and overseas as well. Widely known for it’s magical properties and connection to folklore rowan trees were once planted beside houses to ward off evil.

In Scotland, it has always been considered taboo to cut down a rowan tree as this could bring dreadful bad luck.

For lots more information on rowan trees then check out the British Woodland Trust.

Foraging for rowan berries

Never pick all the rowan berries on one bush/tree. Leave a good percentage of berries for the birds.

Don’t pick rowan berries from beside a busy main road. These trees are packed with pollution from all the traffic, pick your rowan berries in the countryside. Even in parks trees may well be sprayed with insecticides etc.

Got the foraging bug? Then check out my Foraging Recipe Section for loads of great ideas for your foraged finds.

Ingredients for rowan chutney

Don’t be put off by the list of different spices I use while making this amazing chutney, they all have an important part to play in adding depth and character to your chutney and I’m sure most are already lurking in your spice drawer already.

Rowan berries – of course these are the stars of the show so make sure you are using perfectly ripe berries and not any that are too light coloured and unripe or rather wizened and gone over to the dark side.

Fruit – Chutney is all about fruits and berries and loads of flavour, so you will want an apple and also the juice and zest of an orange

Onion – You just have to have onion in a chutney and garlic too here.

Herbs and spices – raid your spice drawer for cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, black pepper and ginger. Fresh rosemary adds a real depth of flavour to this rowan chutney. If you don’t have fresh rosemary just use dried.

Dried fruit – your rowan berry chutney will benefit from some extra sweetness and depth of flavour from some dried apricots and sultanas.

Vinegar – I’ve used cider vinegar here, it has a good flavour but isn’t too strong that it would overwhelm the rowan berry flavour of your chutney.

Sugar – I like to use standard white sugar for this rowan berry chutney. In some chutney recipes I use brown sugar to get that caramel-like taste but for this one I don’t want that so white sugar is the way to go.

The complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making this recipe can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How to make rowan berry chutney

Rinse your berries and place them in a high-sided non-reactive pan along with all the other ingredients. Yes, it’s that simple, this is not a long step by step recipe, it is a case of chucking things into a pan and doing the odd bit of stirring.

Don’t you just love a simple recipe like that, I certainly do!

As it cooks all the berries and fruits will start to break down and become a jammy type of consistency.

You will know when your rowan berry chutney is ready when you can drag your wooden spoon through the chutney and it leaves a clear trail on the base of your pan that slowly fills in again.

It is now time to pot up your chutney into sterilised jars and leave it to mature for 3-4 weeks before using it.

This is to allow the flavours to all blend together well and to soften and mellow a bit.

Storage

Keep your rowan berry chutney in a cool cupboard and it will keep for up to a year. Once opened, store it in the fridge and use within a month.

Here in the UK we don’t tend to use the American canning methods and our preserves keep just fine as they are.

How to serve rowan berry chutney

This is the perfect chutney to serve on the side with roasts like beef, lamb, pork, chicken or turkey.

Serve your rowan berry chutney with a cheeseboard or sharing platter with assorted cold meats, cheeses, olives etc.

Add some of this deliciously spicy chutney to your wraps or sandwiches or the classic Ploughman’s Lunch.

Rowan berry chutney is just perfect on a good old fashioned grilled cheese sandwich/a toastie!

Looking for more autumnal foraging recipes? Then check these out before you go;

Spiced elderberry jelly

Simple rosehip syrup

Crab apple jelly with Scotch whisky

Homemade elderberry jam

And if you want even more wild inspiration go to my Foraging Section for a whole host of great recipes.

Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.