Katey’s Rosehip Syrup recipe
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Cordials and Syrups | 224 comments
August rose hips in our garden
As a child this delight and a daily spoonful of rosehip syrup heralded the start of winter. At home we queued up, in order of age, as my mother doled out the syrup from a small bottle. She called it medicine. I’m sure that this is why it took me ages, as an adult, to consider trying rosehip syrup again. I discovered that homemade rosehip syrup is delicious and worth making. It is a good natural source of vitamin C. It also contains vitamins A, D and E, and antioxidants.
We have two large rose bushes growing on the east wall at the back of the cottage, that produce hundreds of hips each year. We use these to make apple and rosehip jelly in October. When the hips are softened by November frosts, we make syrup. Lots of it. We give a few bottles away to friends who are laid up with bad colds but most of our giant batch is guzzled by us throughout the winter. It tastes too good to be earmarked solely for the sick bed. Danny loves it stirred into creamy yoghurt or swirled over some home made vanilla ice cream. Somewhere in the barn, a demijohn of rosehip wine is still fermenting from last autumn.
If you don’t have roses in your garden there are lots of briar roses in the hedgerows. They are difficult to spot from a car so if you are somewhere rural and have half an hour to spare, it’s well worth walking or cycling along a footpath or a quiet country lane to see what you can find. Try and avoid busy roads as the fruit will have been exposed to exhaust fumes and nasties. Keep a couple of carrier bags in your coat pocket, just in case.
This recipe was given to me by my friend Katey. It is similar to the recipe given out by The Ministry of Food during WW2, although their’s has more sugar. She remembers being frogmarched to pick hips for rosehip syrup as a child. This didn’t put her off, she still makes it today.
Katey’s Rosehip Syrup recipe
Ingredients:
- 4.5 pts of water
- 2 lbs of rosehips
- 1lb of white granulated sugar
Method:
- There is no need to top and tail the rosehips if the liquid is going to be strained through a muslin bag. If you are using a steam juicer, pass the liquid through muslin – it will only take a few minutes.
- Bring 3 pts of water to the boil.
- Mince the rosehips through a course profile mincer (or food processor).
- Transfer the fruit into fast boiling water and bring to the boil again. Remove from heat and leave for 15 minutes.
- Pour through a sterilised jelly bag/or muslin square (how do I sterilise a jelly bag or muslin square? See Tips and tricks below) and allow the majority of the liquid to drip through.
- Return the pulp to the pan and add 1.5 pts of fresh boiling water and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and leave for 15 minutes.
- Strain through the jelly bag again.
- Pour extracted liquid into a clean saucepan and boil to reduce the liquid to 1.5 pts.
- Add the sugar and boil rapidly fro another 5 minutes. Pour into hot sterile bottles and seal immediately. (How do I sterilise bottles? See Tips and tricks below).
Tips and tricks:
- Use small bottles (we use recycled vinegar bottles) as it only keeps for a week or so once opened. If you don’t want to use bottles the syrup can be frozen in cubes.
- How do I sterilise a jelly bag or muslin square?
Both can be scalded with boiling water. If you are using a clean muslin bag or square you can iron them with a hot iron. This also works with tea cloths.
- How do I sterilise bottles?
The sterilising method that we used is simple. Just before making the syrup, I quickly wash and rinse the bottles and place them upside down in a cold oven. Set the temperature to 160? (140? fan-assisted). When the oven has reached the right temperature I turn off the heat. The bottles will stay warm for quite a while. sterilise the lids by boiling these for a few minutes in water.
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Debbie, if it is wrong then we’re all in trouble I think lol. I can’t wait to get out & collect more blackberries, bullaces (cherry/wild plums), sloes & also start collecting rowan berries, haws, elderberries & rosehips to make all the various jams, jellies, cordials, syrups, liquers, spirits & chutneys. Last year I made some more “traditional” preserves & pickles as christmas gifts & this year I fancy trying something more “rustic & natural” (not to mention FREE!!
I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again – this site is just fantastic, amazing, informative & brilliant!
Hazel xx
Brilliant Website. I am off to collect rosehips from our local hedgerows, then I shall freeze them and then I shall make my first ever batch of rosehip syrup.
Is it wrong to be so excited about making syrup!
Hi I have just come across this article and feel I must make a comment on the subject. I made rose-hip syrup for the first time last year. I only made a small amount as I was unsure as to whether I would like it or not. I was gutted when I did try it and I will not be making that mistake again this year I intend to make plenty.. Someone asked me about the destroying of the vits etc when it is cooking. But rose-hips have 10 times more vitC then oranges or lemons and like many foods we cook we still get the benefit. The goodness is still there and yet it may be effected a little it is still of great benefit to the drinker.So don’t worry and enjoy it it will do you good too.:-)
Can I ask a question about Rosehips. I remember having this as a syrup as a child and would love to make some however I am a diabetic and wondered if it would be possible to make it using splenda a sugar alternative? Also I have a vita mix which blends fruit and veg to a drink with out removing peel or core of most things, would there be any harm in blending the hips directly or are there parts you should not eat with out cooking. Sorry this is so long.
Joan
Hi Joan
I know someone who eats rosehips raw and he’s still alive! I don’t know about making syrup using splenda – it might be worth checking out the splenda site http://www.splenda.co.uk/
Hi Michael, the best book I know of for herbs other plants and how and when to cut, dry and use them, is the ‘Complete Illustrated Holistic Herbal’ by David Hoffman. I always use that for checking on the herbs I process. You could also try Culpeppers ‘Colour herbal’ as this includes more unusual herbs and has up-to-date info on the plants.
I have also made rose hip syrup with just honey, many moons ago. Can’t remember the recipe, but it tasted good!
I’m still concerned about the vit c content though. It degenerates so easily, with exposure to air, to heat and so on, that I can’t believe it isn’t neutralised by the extreme heat used in making rose hip syrup. I think I need to research more!
Elaine.
Can you use plastic screwtops on jar or bottles?
Hello Michael
I’m sorry that I missed your comment. I harvest our rose hips in September and October. I make rosehip jelly, cordial and I dry rosehips in our dehydrator to make rose hip tea. You will find instructions for all of these on this site.
I don’t know of a book per se. I get most of my information from the Internet. Wild asparagus and mulberries – lucky you!
Hi Sue
Thank you.
Lakeland sell glass bottles for cordials etc. Their website is lakeland.co.uk
I have just recently became a fan of natural foods and herbs. I live in southeastern Washington and there is an abundance of wild roses here. I have taken the rose hips and just sucked on the seeds and pulp inside the hip. I would like to know how and when to pick the rose hips and how to use them for a healthy me. If you know of a book on natural herbs and how to harvest, dry, and store them, and what uses they have, then please tell me. We also have yarrow growing wild around here along with mulberry, asparagus, and I know many other things that are useful to our health besides man made potions. Thankyou.
Hi Helen
That’s good news!