The weather is getting colder but it doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything to harvest. Now is the perfect time to look for rose hips. Look for red/orange rose hips. I like the ones that are dark red or bright red. I don’t get the ones that are mushy. They are hard to process. I wish I took a picture of the rose plants because it was such a beautiful sight. Remember to not harvest everything, leave some for the birds and other animals. If the rose bush is not yours, ask for permission before harvesting. I harvested my rose hips at Strathcona Park Lodge. Rose hips can be eaten raw and are high in vitamin C.
To process the rose hips for consumption, cut the rose hips in half. Inside you will find some hairy seeds. Before you eat them, you need to remove the seeds and hairs. They can irritate your throat and intestines. Raw rose hips taste a little like crab apples. They are tart and crunchy but also sweet. They remind me of Hawthorne candy I grew up eating.
Scrape the seeds out with your nails or with a tiny spoon. Here is an image of the seeds. You can see the fuzzy hairs all over them.
Once you have removed all the seeds, I like to give the rose hips a rinse.
In a sauce pan, add the rose hips and water. Boil until the rose hips are soft and can easily be mashed.
Add more water if needed, you can reduce to the consistency you like once the rose hips are mashed. At first I used a fork but you can also use an immersion blender to make things smoother. I don’t mind my jams to be a little chunky so I didn’t strain the jam. If you want to make it smoother, push the jam through a sieve to remove any large chunks and skin.
After you puree the mixture, return it to heat and let the mixture thicken until your desired consistency. Add sugar to taste.
You will end up with a beautiful bright red jam. It is sweet and mild and just a little tart. It is perfect on toast or added to cakes. I hope you enjoy.
Rose Hip Jam
- 1/2 cup of rose hips, cleaned
- 3/4 cup of water
- 1/4 cup sugar
Remove the seeds from the rose hips and rinse. Simmer the rose hips in water in a sauce pan until the rose hips are mushy. This will take about 15 minutes. Once the rose hips are soft, mash with a fork or blend with an immersion blender. If you want the mixture to be smooth, push the mixture through a sieve. Return the mixture to the sauce pan and thicken until the desired consistency. Add sugar to taste. Enjoy on toast or added to your yogurt or desserts.
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