Rosehip jam

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Geoffrey Smeddle's rosehip jam recipe requires a fair amount of preparation but is well worth the effort; the apple and citrus flavours come through beautifully. Developed as part of a cooking campaign for the Sunday Herald, this recipe is definitely worth trying at home.

First published in 2015
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Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Equipment

  • Muslin cloth
  • 6 x 230ml (8oz) jars

Method

1
Prepare the rosehips by snipping off the stem and blossom ends with scissors and cutting each rosehip in half, scooping out the hairy centre
  • 8 pints of large rosehips
2
Cut off and discard the ends of the orange, then slice the fruit lengthwise into wedges
3
Remove and reserve any seeds. Take the wedges and cut across each one so you have a number of little triangles of orange
4
Peel the apple, reserving the skin, then grate the fruit on the large holes of a cheese grater. Chop up the core and place it with the skin
5
Place the rosehips, grated apple, orange triangles, lemon zest and lemon juice into a large pot, then add the water
6
Place the apple core, peel and any orange seeds and membrane in a double layer of muslin. Wrap this up and place it in the pot with the chopped fruit and rosehips. This will be a source of pectin
7
Bring the fruit mixture to a hard boil, partially covered, for 30 minutes or until the orange peel can be easily cut through without resistance, then remove from the heat
8
Place the muslin bag in a bowl to catch drips and cool. Once cool enough to handle easily, gently squeeze the pouch into the bowl to extract more of the pectin (it will be very thick liquid)
9
Add the extracted juice back into the pan with the rosehips
10
Add the sugar to the rosehip mixture. Place over a high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar has all dissolved
  • 1.18kg sugar
11
Add the butter, which will help control the foaming. Bring to a rapid boil, uncovered, then reduce the heat to medium high
12
Meanwhile, place a small plate in your freezer. After about 25 minutes begin testing the jam by placing a small amount on the chilled plate
13
Allow 30 seconds to pass then run your finger through it to see what the cooled consistency will be. Boil for a few minutes longer for a thicker jam, if desired. Do not overcook or the mixture will caramelise and taste odd
14
Ladle the mixture into the hot jars. Wipe the rims clean with a damp paper towel and seal with the sterilised lids, leaving 1cm of space at the top
15
Store in a cool place and refrigerate once opened
First published in 2015
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Geoffrey Smeddle, proprietor and chef of The Peat Inn in Fife, started his career working for Herbert Berger at The Café Royal and for Christopher Galvin in London. He then sealed his reputation as one of Scotland’s top chefs by opening Terence Conran's Etain, in Glasgow.

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