Rose-hip jelly

We’ve been very neglectful in the garden and so we have lots of rose-hips… maybe I will make rose-hip jelly as I did a few years ago – it was very nice,  but it got left in the cupboard and forgotten about at Christmas so we had it later in the new year – the last of it used in jam tarts…

Rose-hip jelly

• 2 lbs rose-hips, mushed up in a food processor
• 1 lb  white  sugar
• 5 pts of water ( or thereabouts)
• jelly bag/muslin/the leg/foot of an old pair of tights

1. boil 3 pins of water in a big pan and add the rose-hips
2. bring to the boil again then turn off the heat and leave it for about fifteen minutes.
3. pour the fruit and water into the jelly bag/muslin/the leg/foot of an old pair of tights
4. when it’s stopped dripping – just the occasional drip, put the fruit back into the pan and add another 1½ pints of boiling water
5.  bring it all back to the boil as you did in instruction (2)
6.  rerun instruction (3)
7. put the rose-hip liquor into a clean saucepan and bring to the boil again and reduce – you want about 1½ of liquor
8. then add the sugar, boil again for about 5 mins, then decant into hot sterilised bottles and seal immediately
9. enjoy with whatever you have for your Christmas dinner!