Rosehip Syrup
- 1kg (2lb) rosehips
- 450g (1lb) sugar
- 3 litres (4 ½ pints) water
Remove stalks and mince (or chop) rosehips (don’t leave rosehips lying once they are prepared or you will lose the valuable vitamin C content). Have ready a pan containing 2 litres (3 pints) boiling water and add rosehips. Bring back to boil, remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Ladle rosehips and liquid into a scalded jelly bag and allow the bulk of the juice to drip through. Return the pulp (from the jelly bag) to the saucepan and add the remaining litre (1 ½ pints) water. Re-boil, infuse again for 10 minutes and strain as before. Pour the juice into a clean saucepan and simmer until it measures about 1 litre (1 ½ pints). Add the sugar and stir to dissolve, then boil for 5 minutes. Pour the syrup, while still hot into warm, clean bottles within 25cm (1 in) of the tops. Push in new corks (previously boiled for 15 minutes) not too tightly and tie with string. Place the bottles in the deepest saucepan you have, either on a false bottom or on corrugated paper or newspaper, and fill with cold water to the level of the syrup. Bring slowly to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes to sterilize, then remove from the pan. Remove the string and press the corks firmly in. Dry the bottles and when corks are dry dip in melted paraffin wax to keep them air tight.
