Everything Under the Moon

Wow, major gift! I had been looking for some rowan branches and berries for crafting and cooking. A simple request to the Goddess and behold! A friend begged me to trim one in her driveway and take away those 'messy berries', and yesterday I was offered a whole fallen tree! Blessings indeed! Now my wand, rune, and charm crafting are without boundaries and I can experiment with my newly acquired Rowan wine recipe!

Aaw, don't Ya just love it? Happy for your windfall!

I wasn't aware Rowan grows here.
As I understand the berries are poisonous unless cooked....Say, you will be having extra branches??
I bet mzmolli would love to add that to her collection.
Bb, Firebird

Actually, the berries are not at all poisonous, that is a common myth. They are quite astringent though as they contain a huge amount of vitamin C. If the berries are frozen, the sugar content raises. Watch the Waxwings and the Siskins. After the first deep freeze, they will clean the berries from a rowan tree in minutes! I have frozen mine and have cooked a simple berry sauce. Puts one in mind of cranberries, and is quite tasty when used that way. I will be trying jelly, and next year, wine. I will have a limited amount of branches left over. From sizes suitable for a besom to wands, to charms.

Ah, I see. I guess you would heve to eat a ton of raw ones to cause much harm. Seems as though it was named after that parasorbic acid the berries contain, being the botanical name is sorbus.
Looks like you can make a kind of beer out of them too.
I found this page, ... appeared like it had pretty reliable information.

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-ben ... rries.html

Would love to have this tree but I guess it's too warm here. It's interesting how the common name is "mountain ash" yet it is not in the genus of ash trees.
Another thing I uncovered is the tree is less prevalent in the land from which its lore was established. And yea, not native to the United States.

Keep us updated!
Bb, Firebird

You are correct, it is not native to American soil, but thrives nonetheless. It is used up here as an ornamental but is so hugely prolific that they are in the wildlands as well. Fortunately for me, it is a much overlooked resource, and I can gather without inflicting harm. If the wine is the success I hope it will be, I will label my own and sell it with my mead.