Rosehip Syrup

As promised earlier here is the recipe for Rosehip Syrup that I started early on today and will finish off tomorrow{I will update the post at that time]

 

Ingredients:

1 kg/ 2 1/4 lbs Rosehips
1.5 litres/2 3/4 pints water
600g/1lb 5oz white granulated sugar

Method:

1. First of all top and tail the Rosehips until you have 1kg/2 1/4 lbs prepared weight.
2. Bring the water to the boil as soon as it is bubbling pop the Rosehips into a food processor or a mincer until they are all chopped up.  Pop them straight into the boiling water as it helps preserve the Vitamin C.
3. Bring the mixture to the boil.  Then switch off and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
4. Pour into a jelly bag and leave to drip overnight.  Do not squeeze the jelly bag as this will result in a cloudy jelly.  Reserve the pulp.
5. Into a cleaned preserving pan bring a further 750ml/ 1 1/4 pints fresh cold water, bring this to the boil and stir in the retained pulp.  Pour into a fresh jelly bag and leave to drip for about 3 to 4 hours.
6. Combine  and blend the two sets of juices;  this is important as the first batch will be stronger than the second and therefore you want the strength of the syrup to be consistent throughout.
7. Transfer the juices into a cleaned pan and boil to reduce the liquid until there is about 900ml/1 1/2 pints of the juice left.  Add the sugar and boil for about 5 minutes.
8. Pour into hot sterilised bottles, seal and label.
9. I then hot water bath process the bottles as it helps extract the air and keeps the produce for longer. I do this in my baby bottle steriliser for 30 minutes from the commencement of boil.

The initial first batch of Rosehip juice which will be blended with the second batch

Notes:

Rosehips need to be strained very carefully through a jelly bag or through fine muslin as inside the seeds there are fine hairs that if they get through into the preserve will irritate our systems, some modicum of care is therefore required.  Remember the innards of the Rosehip are what constituted itching powder.  It is best to pop everything through the jelly bag twice as a result of this

Update:

I quite like this recipe although the syrup is not quite as thick as I thought it would be.  I have 6 bottles of the syrup processed.  The flavour isn't what I thought it was going to be either but quite pleasant and I think it will be lovely over ice cream or in rice puddings.