Rosehip and apple jelly
A glistening amber-coloured condiment that is as good on hot buttered crumpets as it is with cold meat and cheese. Anything involving rosehips is packed full of vitamin C, so those crumpets will be doing you good, too. You can use crab apples here, which are particularly high in pectin and so help the jelly to set, but eating apples, which are more easily available, will do very well, too.
Fills 3–4 250ml jars
1kg rosehips, stalks removed 1kg eating apples Zest and juice of half a lemon Around 800g caster sugar
1 Put the rosehips and the lemon zest into a large jam pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer until they soften; this process may take some time and you’re likely to have to top the water up a couple of times. When softened, mash them a little with a potato masher.
2 Roughly chop the apples and add to the rosehips, core, skin and all, then cook until softened. Strain the juice overnight through a double layer of muslin – don’t be tempted to squeeze out the juice as this will cloud the jelly.
3 The next day, measure the liquid into the cleaned preserving pan and add 454g of caster sugar for every 570ml of juice. Add the lemon juice and bring to a rolling boil over a high heat. After about five mins, test to see if setting point has been reached. Put a few drops onto a cold saucer and leave for a minute, then push with your finger. If it wrinkles you have reached setting point, if not, keep testing every few minutes.
4 Use a sterilised jam funnel to pour into sterilised jars, seal, cool and label. The jelly will keep for at least a year.