Summer is fast approaching and I have two prolific rose bushes in my yard that make me smile just by how beautiful the flowers are. Sometimes when I am out there dead heading them I look at those rose hips left behind and think I really should harvest them and use them for something. So I was looking for things to make with rosehips and ran across this recipe that I want to try later in the year!
Rosehips are the seed pods left behind when the petals fall off the roses. They are about the size of a marble and look like cute little round pouches. They are a great source of vitamin C and people have been using them to make teas, jams and jellies for ages.
The best sources for you to harvest rosehips for making this recipe are either in the wild where no pesticides have been sprayed or in your own backyard from your own pesticide free bushes. If you can't get them from these places then you may need to shop around or a source of dried culinary grade rose hips. A health food store is probably your best bet for finding them.
The seeds inside the rosehips can be itchy and irritating, so you can leave them in or remove them. Remember that if you leave them in they will be strained out in the straining process anyway so you can avoid the risk of skin irritation that way.
In doing my research for the jelly recipe, one source said that the seeds were slightly tannic and recommended removing them. Another said that they tried it both ways and noticed practically no difference in the resulting flavor. They said that removing the seeds is rather painstaking process and for the jelly recipe it can add an entire hour to the preparation time, so I will probably leave them in when I make it.
Do not use aluminum or cast iron to cook the rosehips; use stainless steel or non-reactive cookware. This is just a good rule of thumb when making any jelly or jam recipe. Now on to the good part!
Rosehip Jelly Recipe
Yield: five 8 oz jars
Ingredients:
Special equipment:
Directions
1.) Rinse and trim: Rinse the rosehips thoroughly. Cut off the scraggly ends and discard.
2.) Boil the rosehips: Place rosehips in a large pot. Add 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour (or longer), until rosehips are soft and easy to mash.
3.) Mash hips and strain: Use a potato masher to mash up the rosehips into a rough purée.
Set up a jelly bag, or a large very fine mesh strainer, or 4 layers of cheesecloth over a bowl or large pot. Transfer the rosehip mixture into the jelly bag/strainer/cheesecloth. Let strain into the bowl for at least an hour.
( Note: the recipe tells you to squeeze the jelly bag or cheesecloth to get more remaining juice out, but if you are a regular reader you have heard me say this can cause your jelly to be cloudy. So personally I would give it the extra time it needs to strain on it's own. If you must squeeze the bag just be aware that you could end up with cloudy looking jelly but for this recipe that calls for butter it may not matter. )
4.) Prepare canning jars: You'll need 5 to 6 half-pint canning jars and lids. Sterilize the jars by either running them through the dishwasher, right before canning, or placing them on a rack in a large pot of water that you bring to a boil for 10 minutes, or by placing them in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.
To sterilize the lids, bring a kettle of a couple cups of water to a boil. Place lids in a shallow bowl and pour the boiling water over them.
( Note: this is an older recipe that recommends sterilizing the jars and lids. Even though in my tips I have told you the latest regarding whether you really need to sterilize them, most canning sources will still tell you do it. It only takes a few extra minutes and gives loads of extra peace of mind, so I will still do it myself. )
5.) Measure the juice: You will need 3 cups of juice for this recipe, so if you have less than 3 cups, add more water to the mixture (you can also add some boiling water to the jelly bag if you still have it set up, allowing more liquid to drain out).
6.) Make the jelly: Place 3 cups of the rosehip juice in a large, wide pot. Add the lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a boil, dissolving all of the pectin. Add the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the butter. Bring to a hard boil (one that you can not reduce by stirring).
The mixture will bubble up considerably. Boil for exactly one minute. Then remove from heat and pour off into prepared canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace from the rim.
7.) Can the jelly: If any jelly falls on the rim as your pour it into the jars, wipe the rim with a damp paper towel. Place sterilized lids on jars and rings to secure and process the jars in a water bath for 10 minutes. To process, place the jars on a rack in a large, tall stock pot. Cover with an inch of water and bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes.
Rosehips are the seed pods left behind when the petals fall off the roses. They are about the size of a marble and look like cute little round pouches. They are a great source of vitamin C and people have been using them to make teas, jams and jellies for ages.
The best sources for you to harvest rosehips for making this recipe are either in the wild where no pesticides have been sprayed or in your own backyard from your own pesticide free bushes. If you can't get them from these places then you may need to shop around or a source of dried culinary grade rose hips. A health food store is probably your best bet for finding them.
The seeds inside the rosehips can be itchy and irritating, so you can leave them in or remove them. Remember that if you leave them in they will be strained out in the straining process anyway so you can avoid the risk of skin irritation that way.
In doing my research for the jelly recipe, one source said that the seeds were slightly tannic and recommended removing them. Another said that they tried it both ways and noticed practically no difference in the resulting flavor. They said that removing the seeds is rather painstaking process and for the jelly recipe it can add an entire hour to the preparation time, so I will probably leave them in when I make it.
Do not use aluminum or cast iron to cook the rosehips; use stainless steel or non-reactive cookware. This is just a good rule of thumb when making any jelly or jam recipe. Now on to the good part!
Rosehip Jelly Recipe
Yield: five 8 oz jars
Ingredients:
- 2 quarts rosehips
- 6 cups water
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 package Sure Jell pectin
- 1/4 teaspoon butter
- 3 1/2 cups sugar
Special equipment:
- Six 8-ounce canning jars and fresh lids
- A water bath canner
- Jelly bag strainer stand (or cheesecloth over fine mesh sieve)
Directions
1.) Rinse and trim: Rinse the rosehips thoroughly. Cut off the scraggly ends and discard.
2.) Boil the rosehips: Place rosehips in a large pot. Add 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour (or longer), until rosehips are soft and easy to mash.
3.) Mash hips and strain: Use a potato masher to mash up the rosehips into a rough purée.
Set up a jelly bag, or a large very fine mesh strainer, or 4 layers of cheesecloth over a bowl or large pot. Transfer the rosehip mixture into the jelly bag/strainer/cheesecloth. Let strain into the bowl for at least an hour.
( Note: the recipe tells you to squeeze the jelly bag or cheesecloth to get more remaining juice out, but if you are a regular reader you have heard me say this can cause your jelly to be cloudy. So personally I would give it the extra time it needs to strain on it's own. If you must squeeze the bag just be aware that you could end up with cloudy looking jelly but for this recipe that calls for butter it may not matter. )
4.) Prepare canning jars: You'll need 5 to 6 half-pint canning jars and lids. Sterilize the jars by either running them through the dishwasher, right before canning, or placing them on a rack in a large pot of water that you bring to a boil for 10 minutes, or by placing them in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.
To sterilize the lids, bring a kettle of a couple cups of water to a boil. Place lids in a shallow bowl and pour the boiling water over them.
( Note: this is an older recipe that recommends sterilizing the jars and lids. Even though in my tips I have told you the latest regarding whether you really need to sterilize them, most canning sources will still tell you do it. It only takes a few extra minutes and gives loads of extra peace of mind, so I will still do it myself. )
5.) Measure the juice: You will need 3 cups of juice for this recipe, so if you have less than 3 cups, add more water to the mixture (you can also add some boiling water to the jelly bag if you still have it set up, allowing more liquid to drain out).
6.) Make the jelly: Place 3 cups of the rosehip juice in a large, wide pot. Add the lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a boil, dissolving all of the pectin. Add the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the butter. Bring to a hard boil (one that you can not reduce by stirring).
The mixture will bubble up considerably. Boil for exactly one minute. Then remove from heat and pour off into prepared canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace from the rim.
7.) Can the jelly: If any jelly falls on the rim as your pour it into the jars, wipe the rim with a damp paper towel. Place sterilized lids on jars and rings to secure and process the jars in a water bath for 10 minutes. To process, place the jars on a rack in a large, tall stock pot. Cover with an inch of water and bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes.
For this special recipe I created a brand new label to make
your jars look extra special when you gift them to family and friends.
 | |||||||
| Buy it HERE |
We're surrounded by wild roses, enough that, when they blossom, the aroma can be overwhelming. I can't remember when they go to seed and ripen. Late summer? Early autumn? I'll have to keep an eye on them. Rose hip jelly sounds wonderful. It's very much like making grape jelly, which isn't difficult, but there are all those various steps. With that, I always stole my husband's handkerchiefs, sitting them in a sieve, letting the majority of the juice drip down, and then I hung the handkerchiefs for cabinet handles to let them "drip dry." No squeezing the same as you. The one surprise is the butter. I've never heard of that before. If you have leftovers, don't forget rose hip tea!
ReplyDeleteThank you Barbara for that interesting anecdote and the reminder about the tea, great idea! According to several sources the best time to harvest rose hips is right after the first frost. They should be vivid red and slightly soft and that lets you know they are ripe. Keep your eye out for a future post with a recipe on rose petal jelly which is something we can make anytime the roses are blooming. :)
DeleteThanks, Shelli. You and I will be harvesting those rose babies at the same time.
ReplyDelete