Rose hip jam is rare and precious. It is a jam made from rose hips, or wild rose, a shrub that often grows in uncultivated land or along roadsides, with red berries that at first glance seem anything but edible.
These berries, which are harvested between October and November, I consider precious because they possess many beneficial properties: they are an excellent natural remedy to counteract winter ailments due to their high vitamin C content and are a rich source of B vitamins.
The berries are not consumed as soon as they are picked, but need to be deseeded and dried. Once dried, they can be eaten dry, ground to make a great infusion, or cooked and turned into jam, as I did.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 300
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn
Ingredients
- 7 oz rose hips (cleaned)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- water
Tools
- Immersion Blender
- Jar with twist-off lid
Jam Preparation
First, clean the rose hips: wash them in cold water and completely remove the seeds, hairs, and stem, as they may be irritating and inedible. Rinse them again in cold water and weigh them to calculate the right amount of sugar.
Place the berries in a non-stick pot, cover them with water, and bring to a boil. Cook until they are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove them from the heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
Put the puree back in the pot, add the sugar (100 g or half the weight of the cleaned berries), and cook over low heat, stirring often, until it thickens.
Take the previously sterilized jars (see how to do it here), fill them with the boiling jam, close them well, and turn them upside down until completely cooled, usually about 24 hours.
Your rose hip jam is ready to be enjoyed!
