Rose hip jelly and jam made from wild fruit

Rose hip and rhubarb jam recipe

Jams are made from crushed or ground whole fruit and usually have a thick consistency due to the high pectin content. Fruit gives the product its special flavor and often provides pectin for thickening. Pectin is needed to provide thickening or gel formation.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rose hips
• 4 cups diced rhubarb
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

Procedure

1. Cut slightly under-ripe rose hips in half and remove seeds with knife point.
2. Combine rose hips, rhubarb, water, and salt and boil 1 minute. Add sugar and lemon and boil 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat and pour into hot, sterilized half-pint or pint jars. Seal with two-piece canning lids.
4. Process in a boiling water bath. The time in the boiling water bath varies by elevation. For Minnesota, it is 5 minutes for half or quarter pints and 10 minutes for pint jars.

Rose hip jelly recipe

Jelly is made from fruit juice and sugar. A gel structure will be achieved only if the mixture contains sufficient pectin. Often commercial pectin will be added to obtain this desired structure. Extraction of juice from the fruit is the first step in the preparation of fruit jelly.

Steps for extracting juice

1. When extracting juice for pectin-added jelly use ripe rose hips.
2. Remove blossom remnants and stems from rose hips.
3. Wash them in cool running water.
4. Add water to cover the rose hips.
5. Bring to a boil in a covered stainless steel or enamel kettle and then simmer for 15 minutes, or until soft.
6. Cool and strain through cheesecloth or a damp jelly bag.
7. One pound of rose hips will give close to 2 cups juice.

Rose hips should be picked after the first killing frost for best flavor and jelling. 

Ingredients 

• 4 cups rose hip juice
• 7 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 box (2 pouches) liquid pectin (6 ounces)

Procedure

1. Measure juice and stir in sugar. Place on high heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a full, rolling boil.
2. Add the liquid pectin and heat to a full boil. Boil hard for 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat; Skim off foam.
4. Pour jelly into hot, sterilized half-pint or pint jars to 1/4 inch of top. Seal with two-piece canning lids.
5. Process in a boiling water bath. The time in the boiling water bath varies by elevation. For Minnesota, it is 5 minutes for half or quarter pints and 10 minutes for pint jars.