Wild Rosehip Marmalade
- Yield: 6 pints 1x
Description
This recipe starts at the beach, picking wild rose hips. Wait until they are reddish-orange, which indicates ripeness. Harvest about 8 cups, which will become 4-6 cups trimmed and chopped. Simmer with a chopped orange and lemon, that will add natural pectin. The result is a chunky, citrusy marmalade, high in natural Vitamin C and the perfect spread for mid-winter.
Ingredients
6 cups ripe rose hips
1 orange
1 lemon
1 (small) green apple
6 cups water
5 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon butter
Instructions
To prepare the rose hips, trim the scraggly end, and cut in half. Scrape out the seeds and discard. Roughly chop; there should be about 4 cups clean, chopped rose hips.
Cut the end off the oranges and lemon, and slice lengthwise into wedges. Remove any seeds and then cut each wedge in half to make bite-sized little triangles. Keep the peels intact, as this adds pectin. Grate the apple with a cheese grater, peels included.
In a deep 8-quart stock pot, combine the rose hips, orange, lemon, and apple, add the water, and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer at boiling for about 30 minutes, or until the fruit become soft and can be cut easily without resistance.
Turn off the heat. Measure out the sugar and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Return the heat to high, and keep stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add butter (which reduces foam), reduce the heat slightly, and continue to cook over medium high until the jam reaches 220° on a jelly thermometer. This may take 15 minutes. Do not overcook, as it will give it an odd taste.
Ladle the jam into hot, sterilized canning jars (which can be done in a hot water bath or dishwasher). With a wet cloth, wipe the jars clean, seal them with hot lids leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Flip over to fully seal jars, then back to right side.
To prevent mold, you can process in a hot water bath for 5 minutes. As the jars cool, you will hear a popping sound that indicated the lids are fully sealed.
