Rose Hip Jelly Recipe

This is a wonderful recipe for fall, as you should be able to gather up some hips from the roses in your garden.  I had to outsource most of mine because I didn't have enough in the garden. But it works well in this recipe with a few of my fresh hips from the garden, which were just beginning to turn that beautiful deep orange or red.

Rose hips have incredible medicinal properties and health benefits: they reduce inflammation, detoxify the body, reduce chronic pain, such as arthritis pain, lower the blood sugar level, prevent cardiovascular diseases and help to fight cancer.  They have 60 times more vitamin C than oranges and lemons! 

After several trial and errors and just general ease and best of flavor, I've fine-tuned  this wonderful recipe to share with you.  You don't have to worry about removing the seeds and those itchy hairs by this method I've devised, and it works great.  I love it on toast, and also as a sweetener for my bubble water --it's delicious!

Ingredients:

  • 5 cups rose hips- I used 1 bag of dried rose hips from Starwest Botanicals 
  • 5 small green apples
  • 1 T. powered fruit pectin
  • a large stock pot- NOT aluminum (this destroys the vitamin c)
  • fresh rose petals (organic of course!)
Re-hydrate the rose hips; place in a pot of water to just cover.  Bring to a simmer and turn off heat.  Let them set in water for up to an hour.  There should not be any water left in the pot.  Run the hips through a food processor to medium coarseness.   

Chop apples into quarters.  Don't peel them or core them! Add them into pot, cover with water, and then add 2 more cups of water on top.  Cook apples until tender, then another 15 min at simmer to release pectin from apples.
Add the rose hips now, and simmer for another 15 min.
Remove from heat and let cool a little, then pour through a sieve.  Do not squeeze the juice from the sieve, otherwise your jelly will be cloudy.  
Measure your liquid.  For every 2 cups of liquid,  add 1.5 cups sugar.  Place your sugar into a clean pot and warm with 1 heaping tablespoon of fruit pectin.  Once your sugar is warmed and the pectin integrated, add the liquid to the pot.  Slowly bring to a boil to dissolve sugar.  Now keep the boil to the setting point (220 f) or-- test your liquid using the cold saucer method (place a teaspoon of liquid onto a chilled saucer, wait a few seconds and then push your finger into the side of liquid--if the liquid wrinkles, then it's done).
Let the jelly cool for a little bit, and then pour into your sterilized jars.  If desired, sir in a few freshly chopped rose petals for prettiness!

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published