I made this one last year. I did exactly what you describe since I couldn't stand the thought of trying to get all those seeds out. I thought it was ok. I was glad the only thing I had to pay for was the sugar and electricity. I donated them to our club's fall craft fair. I'm more of a jam than jelly person. I'm sure you could scale this down.

Rosehip Apple Jelly
4 pounds apples
2 pounds ripe rosehips

Chop apples, put into pan with rosehips and just enough water to cover, plus one pint extra. Simmer slowly until cooked. Strain through a jellybag overnight. Measure juice, allowing one pound sugar per pint. Mix sugar and juice in pan and boil until setting point is reached. Pot into warm jars. These old recipes use UK imperial measurements.

(Online conversion tells me that a UK pint is 19.2 US ounces. If you used US pints you would end up with too much sugar.)

Inside the hips (the seed pod) are the seeds and zillions of tiny little hairs that are very irritating if eaten. THAT's why it's best to remove them - along with the seeds.

Rose hips will have the most nutritional value when used immediately after harvesting. To prepare rose hips for tea, cut off the bloom stem, cut the hip in half, and scrape out the seeds and hairy pith. This can be very tedious with tiny hips, so you may want to save the smallest hips for jellies. Rose hips used for jellies don't need to be seeded or scraped. A half and half mixture of rose hip juice and apple juice makes a tasty jelly.

Preparing the Hips
You can use rose hips either fresh off the vine, dried, or preserved. To dry the fruit spread the hips out on a clean surface. Allow them to dry until the skin begins to feel dry and slightly shriveled. At this point, split the hips in half and take out all of the seeds and tiny hairs in the centre. Remember not to use aluminum pans or utensils as this will destroy some of the vitamin C.

After the seeds are removed you can let the hips dry completely. Don't wait to remove the seeds until hips are completely dry or you will have trouble with de-seeding.

Store the dried hips in sealed plastic bags. Freeze for long term use or put in the refrigerator if you plan on using over a two or three month period. Hips can be eaten as a semi-sweet snack at anytime. You can also make tea and preserves.

Any jam or jelly (or pie or whatever) made from rose hips will be redder and more flavourful if you use hips from the old-fashioned roses - the redder and more heavily perfumed, the better. But any hips can be used. (There's such a thing as red food colouring!)

My hips are from a rose known as "pasture rose" or Rosa virginiana, quite small. I did see one recipe for rose hip syrup, which would be a good tonic to keep in the fridge or freezer to add to tea. I'm not taking out the seeds and hairs from these tiny hips, but I realize I need to strain the juice through several layers of cheesecloth to get out the hairs. Thanks for the tips.
Lpink

Here's a Rose Hip Jam I was considering making.

Rose Hip Jam

3 cups fully ripe rose hips
1 orange
1 lemon
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar

Remove the stiff hairs from calyx end of rose hips, split open and scrape out the seeds. Wash hips and measure 1 1/2 cups. Cut peel from orange and lemon in thin slivers. Add to the water and boil for five minutes.

Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the juice from the orange and lemon and the rose hips. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook until hips are clear and transparent and syrup is thick. Pour into hot sterilized jars; seal. Makes about two 1/2 pint jars.

Michelle

I picked about 5+ cups of rose hips yesterday, cut the stem and hairy end off. Then covered with water and simmered until soft. Then I smashed them with my potato masher and put them in a sieve and let them drain all night. I got about 1 1/2 c. puree about as thick as canned tomato sauce. It tastes pretty good all by itself and is a pretty pinky amber color.

Then this morning I read that you should wait until after the first frost to harvest rose hips. So I am going to freeze my rose puree and harvest more hips after the first frost.

Michelle

Well, if I don't get to it, I think the birds and squirrels will eat me out of these. I'm gonna try half apple juice and half rose hip juice if I can get to it this week or weekend. I splurged and got rhubarb and strawberries out of season to make jam, so that comes first. I have always wanted to make strawberry rhubarb jam, but I can never find rhubarb. I'm going to have to plant some soon.

I picked another 7 cups of hips the other day. Cleaned and then simmered them in water, mashed and strained and strained and strained. I got 2 full qts of rose hip puree and it is so good!

Today I cooked some apples down and added them to the rose hips, I used 2 c. rose hip puree, 1 c. apple puree and 1 c. sugar. Cooked this down but unfortunately not enough and so will heat it up again tomorrow and start over. It is delicious though! I can't wait to try it on a bagel with cream cheese.

I did take some pictures but the color is not true and looks more like catsup. The color is really nice, sort of warm rosey color.

Michelle

I heard to wait until the last frost too, but the last 2 years I waited and there were hardly any good ones left on the Rugosas. The tiny wild roses help up better. This year I just picked all of the rugosas last weekend. Interesting that you get a puree/pulp when you simmer and mash them- I always just used the juice to make jelly. Either case I wouldn't think you would need to de-seed them cuz you're not actually eating the little hairs. I always use apple juice. I was always afraid to add any other flavors cus I thought the rose flavor was too delicate. I think I'll try some lemon/orange flavor this year though.

flat, would you mind posting your recipe for the Rose Hip Jelly.

I did not deseed the hips, but I did but the stems and the hairy end. The hairs are so small that I thought they might work their way through the sieve, even though the sieve I used was VERY fine, I still had to sieve 3 times.

The rose flavor is very delicate but you can still taste it with the apple and it is very good. I have so much rose hip puree that I think I will try the lemon orange recipe I posted above too.

I also have one with cinnamon and cloves in it that I think I might try. The cloves may be a bit strong and I may skip them.

Rose I. Mower of Chugiak sent us this recipe which uses Alaska's wild roses. "This recipe has been kitchen tested by me and is a favorite of my family," says Rose.

Abbreviations: t.=teaspoon, T.=Tablespoon, c.=cup, lb.=pound

Wash rose hips and remove tails. Cook rose hips (any quantity) until soft. Remove seeds and skins by pressing through a sieve. By volume, add 1/2 as much sugar as you have pulp. Put the pulp and sugar in a sauce pan with a cinnamon stick and five or six whole cloves. Heat slowly, covered, until the sugar dissolves. Uncover and cook slowly until thick, stirring constantly.

Pack in hot sterilized jars " from top and seal lids at once.

Process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Michelle

These are the recipes I've saved. Many of them come from this site and others, so please forgive me that I'm not giving credit where credit is due. To be honest, I believe I just used Pomona last year, using the ratios described on the instructions, adding sugar to taste. I didn't have enough hips to make a full batch of any of the recipes below. I haven't made anything with mine yet this year, but I did save a few sprays in tact to put in the jars of jelly, just for looks. I like the idea of using apple juice in the recipes you posted though, it seems that this would also help stretch the recipe a little.

Rose Hip Jelly
5 cups prepared juice (about 2 qt. fully ripe rose hips and 6 ripe medium tart apples)
1 box SURE.JELL Fruit Pectin
1/4 tsp. ground mace (optional)
10 drops red food coloring (optional)
2 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
1/2 tsp. butter or margarine (optional)
6 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
BRING boiling-water canner, half-full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot, soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.
REMOVE stems from rose hips. Place in saucepan; add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until soft and mushy, about 1 hour. Place 3 layers of damp cheesecloth or jelly bag in large bowl. Pour prepared fruit into cheesecloth. Tie cheesecloth closed; hang and let drip into bowl until dripping stops. Press gently. Measure exactly 2 cups juice into 6-8 quart saucepot.
REMOVE stems and blossom ends from apples. Cut apples into small pieces (do not peel or core). Place in large saucepan; add water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Crush cooked apples; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Place 3 layers of damp cheesecloth or jelly bag in large bowl. Pour prepared fruit into cheesecloth. Tie cheesecloth closed; hang and let drip into bowl until dripping stops. Press gently. Measure exactly 3 cups juice; add to rose hip juice in saucepot. (If needed, add up to 1/2 cup water for exact measure.)
STIR pectin, mace and food coloring into juice in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming, if desired. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.
STIR in all sugar quickly. Bring to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
LADLE quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches; add boiling water if needed. Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger.

Rose Hip Jam
(this recipe has been around since the 1700s)
1 pound prepared rose hips (about 4 quarts)
1 cup of water
Sugar
In a large pan, add the rose hips and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until very soft--about 20 minutes (add more water if necessary). Press or strain the mixture through a sieve to remove any seeds and to reduce large chunks of hips. Add one pound of sugar (about 3 1/2 cups) to one pound of pulp and simmer. Check the taste and add more sugar if desired. Cook until the mixture has thickened to jam-like consistency. Pour into sterilized jars and seal. This is good to eat when you have a sore throat.

Rose Hip Puree
(This is from an old 16th century recipe used to make
rose hip tart)
1 1/2 cup prepared rose hips
3/4 cup water
2 T sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1 T lemon juice
Simmer the prepared rose hips in water until soft -- about 10-15 minutes. Stir in sugar, spices and lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes. Use puree for tarts, ice cream toppings or to eat as a sauce.

Rose Hip Tea
Prepare the rose hips as described above and place in a single layer on a drying screen. Allow to completely dry, then store in an air-tight jar in a cool, dark place. Hips may be used whole or slightly broken. Pour boiling water over the hips and allow to steep for 2 minutes. Strain.

Experiment with your own ideas for using roses in recipes. You may discover a whole new way to use your roses.
Drying Rose Hips and Rose Hips Puree
Instructions
Just after a frost is the best time to gather rose hips. Snap off the tails as you pick,or later when you reach home. Spread the hips out on a clean surface and allow to dry partially. When the skins begin to feel dried and shriveled, split the hips and take out the large seeds -- all of them. If you let the hips dry too much, it will be difficult to remove the seeds. If not dry enough, the inside pulp will be sticky and cling to the seeds. After the seeds are removed, allow the hips to dry completely before storing or they will not keep well. Store in small, sealed plastic bags. These will keep indefinitely in the freezer or for several months in the refrigerator. They are packed with vitamin C and are good to munch on anytime you need extra energy...or a moderately sweet nutlike "candy."
Making Puree:
Use soft ripe rose hips (the riper they are, the sweeter they are). It takes about 4 cups (1 Litre) of rose hips to make 2 cups (480 ml) of puree. Remove stalks and blossom ends. Rinse berries in cold water. Put them into a pan and add enough water to almost cover. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Press through a sieve or strainer. All that does not go through the sieve is placed in the pan again. Add a little water, enough to almost cover, if you want a thicker puree, add slightly less. This time heat but do not boil so vigorously. This will dissolve a little more of the fruit so that it will go through the sieve. Press again and then repeat the process one more time. By now, most of the fruit should have gone through the sieve leaving only seeds and skin to discard.
Drying Puree:
Line a cookie sheet, 12 by 17 inches (30 by 42 cm), with plastic wrap. This size cookie sheet holds approximately 2 cups (480ml) of puree. Spread puree or fruit leather evenly over the plastic but do not push it completely to the sides. Leave a bit of plastic showing for easy removal. Place on a card table or picnic table in the hot sun to dry. If the plastic is bigger than the cookie sheet and extends up the sides, anchor it with clothes pins so it will not flop down and cover the edges of the leather. Puree should dry in the sun six to eight hours.
Kodiak Rose Hip Tea
Ingredients
1 tea bag
1 tablespoon (15 mL) dried rose hips
3-4 whole cloves
Sugar or honey to taste
1 cup (240 mL) boiling water
Instructions
Steep tea bag, rose hips and cloves in boiling water for five minutes. Remove hips and cloves. Reheat if desired. Sweeten to taste with sugar or honey. Makes one serving.
Rosehip Jelly
Ingredients
4 quarts ripe rose hips
2 quarts water
1 package pectin crystals
5 cups sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
Instructions
Simmer rose hips in water until soft. Crush to mash, and strain through a jelly bag. Should make about 4 cups of rose hip juice. Add to juice, lemon juice and pectin crystals and stir until mixture comes to a hard boil. Stir sugar in at once. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove jelly from heat and skim off foam with metal spoon. Pour into hot sterilized jars. 5 min. at 0-1000 ft., 10 min at 1001-6000 ft.

This is such a great discussion. I am still waiting to get to the hips. I did the strawberry rhubarb "jam" and still have some red peppers waiting in line before I can get to the hips. I know I am going to have to pair them with apples or something because I don't have enough hips from one big bush for a whole batch of anything. But I pass by these gorgeous hips every day and want to try something with them. Hopefully I will be able to report back something and I lookf forward to hearing more of others' experiences.
Lpink

Do you think I could use a double boiler? I'm always afraid I will be distracted by something and scorch the pot.

Michelle

Rosehip Jelly
1kg rosehips, washed and roughly chopped
1 litre water
450g sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice, approximately

Put rosehips in a saucepan with the water and boil for about 1 hour or until soft. Pour into a colander which has been lined with muslin and leave to drain overnight. Next day, measure the liquid and add 2 cups sugar for every 600ml liquid. Heat slowly in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved, then boil steadily until a little tested in cold water will set. Skim off surface scum, add lemon juice to taste, then pour into bottles. Seal when cool.

Rosehip Leather
Use soft ripe rose hips. It takes about 4 cups of rose hips to make 2 cups of puree. Remove stalks and blossom ends. Rinse in cold water. Put them into a pan and add enough water to almost cover. Bring to the boil and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Press through a sieve or strainer. All that does not go through the sieve is placed in the pan again. Add a little water, enough to almost cover, if you want a thicker puree, add slightly less. This time heat but do not boil so vigorously. Press through a sieve again and then repeat the process one more time. Discard the seeds and skin. Line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap. Spread puree evenly over the plastic but do not push it completely to the sides. Leave in the hot sun to dry for about 6 8 hours.

hey all!

I make an annual pilgrimage to Maine where I harvest rosehips from the wild roses. I LOVE the jam from these hips, but I don't love the wasp larva that tends to infest the hips. They make cleaning them even more labor intensive.

I have wild roses growing in my back yard which get struck also. So the question is: what is the condition of the hips you harvest and what do you do to keep them relatively bug free? Alternatively, does anyone know of a reputable source for dried hips?

Thanks for the help. My family and I LOVE rose hip jam.

Meredydd