Rosehip Syrup

You may not realise this but rosehips contain more Vitamin C than oranges. And they are free and can be found growing in the wild and in gardens. I make a batch or two of rosehip syrup every year - it's my favourite thing to drizzle on my winter porridge and, who knows? It may help stave off the occasional cold.

Fancy making some?

If so, go and get some rosehips. I tend to make small batches using around 250g at a time but let's scale that up for a good family-sized batch.

Collect about 1kg, wash them and roughly chop them. I use one of those food chopper things that you bash on top. 

Put into a saucepan with 1.4l of water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15-10mins then strain them through a muslin or tea towel several times to remove the pulp, seeds and the irritating itchy hairs (did you put the hairy seeds down people's backs as itching powder when you were a kid?). 

Return the liquid to a clean pan and add sugar - around 60g for every 100ml of juice. Heat it until the sugar has dissolved and then decant into bottles. Let it cool and then enjoy!

Rosehip syrup is delicious on  ice cream, yoghurt, mixed with fizzy water as a cordial, or with vodka as a mixer.

And, of course, my porridge.