Rosehip Jelly from the hedgerows
Whilst walking the dog this weekend I collected handfuls of beautiful ruby red rosehips from the hedgerows - like all wild food, its only disadvantage is that it is covered in thorns and spiders, but the effort and scratches were well worth it when I made my own Rosehip and Quince jelly.
I used this recipe from Times Online with a few amendments as always! Instead of crab apples I used a lovely quince, and I added the juice and zest of a whole lemon (I like my jelly tart)
A classic recipe taken from the WI Book of Preserves
Makes: about 3 x 225 ml jars
Prep: 45 minutes, plus straining overnight
Ingredients 500 g ripe rose hips (from rugosa roses, if possible), stray leaves, stems and flowers removed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 kg crab or cooking apples, roughly chopped, including cores, pips, skin
Caster sugar
Method
Wash and drain the rose hips. Chop roughly and put into a preserving pan with the lemon juice, apples and enough water to just cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes until soft. Mash thoroughly to extract as much juice as possible. Strain through a jelly bag or muslin-lined nylon sieve, set over a large bowl. Do not press the fruit or squeeze the bag as this will make the jelly cloudy. Leave until the dripping stops. This may take several hours or even overnight. Next, measure the liquid and return it to the pan along with 450 g (1 lb) sugar for each 600 ml (1 pint) of liquid. Stir well over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and boil rapidly for 5–10 minutes. Test your jam for a set — setting point is 105C (220F). If necessary, boil for a further minute then test again. Continue testing at one-minute intervals, as necessary, until the jelly has reached setting point. Remove the pan from the heat, skim off any scum and allow to cool briefly. Carefully pour into hot, sterilised jars. Seal the jars and allow the jelly to cool completely before labelling and storing.
