The syrup is sweet, high in vitamin C, good drizzled on cakes & pancakes, in porridge and lovely with a shot of gin or vodka with ice.
You will need: measuring scale, pan with lid, wooden spoon, ladle, sieve, muslin cloth, bowl, measuring jug, funnel, Kilner bottle(s).
Weigh your hips. The following recipe used 350g of hips, so alter amounts depending on the weight of your rose hips.
1. Rinse & cut hips in half, put them in a pan & add half a litre of water.
2. Bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Ladle/pour liquid & hips into a muslin covered sieve over a bowl. Wrap muslin around the pulp and place something heavy on top. Leave to stand for 1 hour.
4. Return pulp to plan, add another half litre of water & repeat process 2 & 3.
5. Give muslin with pulp inside a good squeeze. Measure rose hip liquid, for each litre add 650g of sugar. I had 600ml of liquid, so used 325g of sugar.
6. Return liquid to a clean pan, add sugar & heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil & spoon off any scum. Boil for 3 minutes then bottle.
I gave my bottle a rinse in boiling water before adding syrup. As you can see from my final image I filled 1 bottle plus extra in a jam jar. I didn't rinse the jam jar in boiling water and the syrup developed mould - so do rinse!
Rose hips & water
First boil
Liquid after adding sugar
Finished syrup
