Shakira Jelly (Rosehips Don't Lie)

Shakira Jelly

It's nearing the end of my foraging season, but I happened upon some of my favourite rosehips whilst out walking at the weekend so I felt it would be rude not to pick some.

Rosehips come in various shapes and sizes, but my favourites are the hips from the Scotch Burnet Rose. These hips look black and are spherical, unlike the torpedo-shaped hips of the Dog/Wild Rose. Scotch Burnets make a beautiful deep-purple jelly, so that's what I used them for today.

Scotch Burnet Rosehips

I picked 4 apples from a local, wild tree, so I'm not sure what type they are - maybe an apple expert will happen upon this blog and inform me.

Unidentified Foraged Apples

Shakira Jelly

Ingredients:

• 250g rosehips (one small sandwich bag full)
• 4 small apples (crab apples work well, too)
• Jam sugar
• Water

Method:

• Wash apples and rosehips separately

• Put rosehips in a pan and cover with water.

• Bring to the boil and simmer for 40mins, topping up with water if necessary.

• Chop apples and add to rosehips.

• Cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15mins.

• Strain overnight in a jelly bag/muslin/a clean dish towel.

• Measure strained liquid and add 1g jam sugar for every 1ml of liquid (I used 350g sugar to 425ml juice, as I like my jelly quite tart)

• Bring to a rolling boil and check for a set using the wrinkle test (put a plate in the fridge and put a spoonful of jelly on the cold plate - after a minute, push the jelly with a finger. If it wrinkles, it's set. If it doesn't, keep boiling until it does).

• Pour into sterilised jars.

• Enjoy, once it cools. 

This may be my last post of the season, but that won't stop me looking. Until we meet again, Good Foraging xx

Rosehip and Watermint Jelly

Rosehip and Watermint Jelly

So, I'm not feeling well at the moment and the idea for this blog comes from the seasonal choice of ingredients combined with a dire need to boost my flawed Scottish immune system! (Rosehips contain 20-60 times as much vitamin C as an orange!) I took a walk around Townhill Loch in Dunfermline, Fife, and found some Rosa Rugosa Rosehips and some Watermint. I have made herbal tea (tisane, really) with mint and rosehips before, but I like to eat and drink cold foodstuffs when I have a sore throat, so I wanted to make something that tasted of rosehip/mint tea but was cold - and I don't like iced tea. The decision: rosehip and mint jelly.

There are as many different types of rosehips as there are types of roses, but I always think that Rosa Rugosa look good enough to eat raw. I also like to make rosehip jelly (as in runny jam) out of Scotch Burnet rosehips because they give the jelly a beautiful purple hue.

Rosa Rugosa hips

Watermint

Rosehip and Watermint Jelly

Ingredients:

• 400g Rosehips, washed and de-stemmed
• 450g sugar
• 10 sheets of gelatine (1 per 100ml of rosehip syrup)
• 1.1 litres of boiling water
• 5 mint leaves (I added some flowers for good measure and colour!)

Method:

• Chop up rosehips (or do as I did and chuck them in a food processor).

Processed rosehips

• Bring rosehips and 700ml boiling water back to the boil.
• Take off heat and leave to infuse for 15mins.

Rosehips infusing

• Strain through muslin/tea towel and put the juice back in the pan.

Straining juice through a tea towel

• Add 400ml boiling water and the mint leaves/flowers and bring back to the boil.
• Take off heat and leave to infuse for 15mins.

Mint infusing

• Strain through muslin/tea towel and put the juice back in the pan.
• Add sugar and bring back to the boil then turn off heat.
• Cut each gelatine sheet into 6 pieces and place in bain marie/heatproof bowl over boiling water.
• Add enough rosehip syrup to cover the gelatine.
• Gently heat and stir until gelatine dissolves.

Gelatine dissolving

• Mix together gelatine mixture and remaining rosehip syrup.
• Strain to remove any gelatine lumps.
• Pour into moulds.
• Place in fridge to set.

Rosehip and watermint jelly