On 10 Sep 2004 19:25:08 GMT, in uk.rec.gardening you wrote:

~In article ,
~Janet Baraclough.. wrote:
~
~ Rowan berries also make a good herb jelly, delicious with cold meat or
~sharp cheese.
~
~Ah! I am pretty certain that tells me things about your DNA ....
~
~Some 60% of the UK population can't tell bitter from sour (or
~possibly distinguish them very weakly). Rowan berries are as
~bitter as hell (quinine-like) and almost all of us who can
~distinguish will find the jelly inedible. I made some, and it
~went in the bin.

I have trouble with bitter/sour. I tried to make lime pickle the other
week and it was inedible. I tried more sugar which didn't seem to help
and eventually added some salt to a sample too and that didn't help
much either. Eventually binned it. Yet for some weird reason I like
tonic water...

~Note that, if you can counteract bitterness with sugar, you are
~one of the 60%. The 40% can PARTIALLY counteract it with salt.
~Grapefruit is sweet, bitter and slightly sour. Lemon juice is
~not bitter at all, but the peel is. Orange juice is slightly
~bitter.
~
~Now, it is POSSIBLE that I picked them too early (it is common
~for both bitterness and sourness to drop as fruit ripens), but I
~don't think so.

Fascinating facts and figures :-) I think I shall stick for now to
trying to preserve my apples and blackberries in interesting ways.
I've got way too many for freezing!

If anyone tries herb jelly making, whatever you do, keep stirring the
apple mush. It's a pig to get off a pan if it burns!

Right, off to the allotment now before the rain moves in later
today...



--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!