Rosehip and Rowan Marmalade

Ingredients:

2kg ripe dog rose hips or rugosa rose hips (or a blend)
150g rowan berries (frozen at least over night and thawed before use
4 crab apples, chopped (for the pectin)
2.2l water (or enough so that the hips are just submerged — if thie hips are particularly hard you will need more water, as you will be cooking for a long time)
juice of 6 oranges
peel of 2 oranges cut into strips (thin or thick, depending on preference)
80g sugar per 100ml juice
75ml to 100ml lemon juice (depending on taste)

Method:

Wash and pick the rose hips then add the fruit to a pan along with the water, rowan berries, apples, the juice of 4 oranges and the peel of 2 oranges. Bring to a simmer, cover, and stew until the fruit is pulpy. Remove the flavouring ingredients then turn into a jelly bag or a colander lined with two layers of muslin or cheesecloth and leave to strain over night (do not press down as this will make the base jelly cloudy).

In the meantime, cut the peel of 2 of the oranges into strips. Place in a bowl with the juice of 2 oranges then cover and set aside to soften over night.

The following day combine the strained juice with the orange juice and peel mix then measure the volume of juice then add 80g of sugar per 100ml of liquid then heat gently in a pan, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Now add the lemon juice (this acidifies the mixture and helps it set). Bring the syrup to a boil and continue boiling rapidly for at least 20 minutes. Test for setting at this time (place a dollop of the jelly on a plate chilled in the fridge, if the jelly forms a skin when you shift it with your finger it's at the setting point). If it's not ready boil for a further five minutes then test again. Remove any scum from the top of the jelly then pour into cleaned and sterilized jars that have been warmed in an oven set to 100°C for 15 minutes. Seal securely and store.