Single hen

[Mrs Frugal]

Answering a request from Penny and Clare.

 

This is from Roger Phillips Wild Food book

 

Rosehip Syrup

 

1kg rosehips

3 litres water

450g sugar

 

Remove stalks and mince or chop the rosehips. Have a pan with 2 litres of the water boiling ready and add the rosehips. Bring back to the boil, remove from heat and leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Ladle rosehips and liquid into a scalded jelly bag and allow the juice to drip through. Return the pulp along with the remaining litre of boiling water. Re-boil, infuse again for 10 minutes and strain as before. Pour juice into a clean saucepan and simmer until it measures approx 1 litre (doesn't really matter precisely though!) then add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Boil for 5 minutes. Pour warm, sterilised bottles and seal. You can either sterilize the bottles in a pan of water or do what I do and freeze them until needed! I froze last years batch in jam jars and just defrosted it as we needed it. If you don't either sterilize the bottles or freeze them, the syrup starts to ferment alarmingly!! Jam jars freeze really well.

 

We take 1 dessertspoonful daily when we've got a cold along with some echinacea capsules.

 

It's also delicious on ice cream!

[Mrs Frugal]

Giving this recipe a bump for Louise . Instead of syrup this year, I'm making rosehip wine as we've still got several bottles of last year's Rosehip Syrup in the freezer .

[Louise]

Thanks Kate

 

All I need to do now is find some rosehips

[Charlottechicken]

Mmm, would it work as a cordial or is the flavour too delicate?

 

I've seen some rosehips locally, I may have to take an early Sunday morning walk

[Mrs Frugal]

I've not tried it as a cordial. I don't see why it wouldn't work if you experimented with the amounts of water used. I don't think it would need much water though. They syrup is delicious on ice cream though if it doesn't work as a drink .

[Charlottechicken]

Thanks Kate, if the syrup is tasty then I will try a cordial and let you know. (without the water!)

 

Does the straining get the hairs out? Not sure how that'll work with a thicker syrup

[Mrs Frugal]

Yes, it does get the hairs out so don't worry. For the cordial, I meant less water when you dilute it to drink, not less water in the syrup recipe .

[Charlottechicken]

OK

 

I've only ever made cordial with "juicy" fruits before, so I suppose this would need more water as rosehips are quite dry.

 

Must get off to the park now!