Rosehip syrup

Rosehip syrup is versatile and delicious, with a delicate, exotic flavour. You can use it as a base for a drink, as a topping for porridge or pancakes, pour it on ice cream, mix it with natural yoghurt or use it as a flavour in cocktails - rosehip bellini anyone?! Rosehips are also good for you. They have 20 times as much vitamin C as an orange and are rich in vitamins A, K and B (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin), so it's a great winter tonic.

You will need...

300g rosehips

300g sugar

Step 1

Wash the rosehips and chop them roughly. Then soften them up by mimicking a frost - just leave them in the freezer for a couple of hours.

Step 2

When they're suitably softened, bring 600ml water to the boil. Add the rosehips, bring it back to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave them to steep in the water for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Strain the liquid out using one or two layers of muslin cloth in a sieve.

Step 4

Return the rosehips to the pan, add another 600ml of water. Bring it to the boil, then again remove from the heat and leave to steep for another half an hour before straining.

Step 5

Put all of the rosehip liquid back in the pan and boil it until it reduces by half.

Step 6

Stir in the sugar until it dissolves, then put the heat back on and boil it hard for five minutes.

Step 7

Once cool, pour the syrup into sterilised jars or bottles. It'll keep for a few months, but to be on the safe side, store it in the fridge.