My young friends prefer rose hip jelly, but I the jam. It’s best to make on an overcast or otherwise beach-unfriendly day, only because it takes time. To make the jam you have to prep the hips, and cut each one open to remove the itchy sticky seeds that you don’t want those ending up in your jam. Making rose hip jelly is easy, the jam, a bit more complicated. (But in my opinion, well worth the effort!)
A Mix of Fruits for a Memorable Jam
This is a marmalade-style jam, which includes an orange and a tart green apple for balance of flavor, and to provide the pectin in this recipe. Other than the orange and apple, there is no added pectin. As you prep the orange and apple, you save the seeds and core and place them in a muslin bag to be boiled with the rose hips and the fruit. Later you squeeze pectin out of the bag into the jam mixture. If this is your first time making a marmalade type jam without added pectin, please review the lemon marmalade recipe on this site for more detail on the process.
More Jams, Conserves, and Jellies
Apricot Riesling Jam Blueberry Jam in the Microwave Plum Conserve Jam Strawberry Jam Apple Butter
Rinse the rose hips and discard any bits that are blemished. Then roughly chop the rose hips. You will need 4 cups of clean, chopped rose hips. Take the apple core pieces, apple peel, and any orange seeds and membrane and place in a double layer of cheesecloth. (This will be a source of pectin.) Wrap them up and place in the pot with the chopped fruit and rose hips. Boil for a few minutes longer if desired for a thicker jam. Do not overcook or the mixture will caramelize and give you an odd taste. To process, place the jars on a rack in a large, tall stock pot. Cover with 1 inch of water and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat, remove the jars from the water, and let cool. As the jars cool you should hear a popping sound as the lids seal. The lids should seal; if not, store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. Sealed jars will keep for a long time, but for the best flavor and texture, use them within 1 year.
