• 1kg Rosehips
• 500g Granulated sugar
• 1.5 litres Water

 1

Wash and shake your freshly picked rosehips, to remove any unwanted dirt. Then pop them in the freezer overnight: this mimics a frost and will soften the fruit, leaving them sweet and juicy. Defrost before use.

2

Chop your rosehips into a nice pulp, using a blender preferably, or sharp knife. You may need to do this in batches. Pop them in a saucepan and cover with water, about 1.5 litres should be plenty. Bring to the boil, then allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes.

3

Strain the pulp through the muslin into a bowl, allowing plenty of time for all of the liquid to drip through. You can gently squeeze the cloth to help it along, but don’t rush this step. Some recipes recommend straining the liquid again to ensure that the irritating hairs have been removed

4

Once your liquid is clear, add the sugar. Measure how much syrup you’ve got, then return to the pan. For every 100 ml of liquid, add about 60 g of sugar. Heat very slowly and skim off any scum that forms on top. Once the sugar has dissolved, you have your syrup!

5

Decant into sterilised glass bottles and keep in the refrigerator to ensure it stays fresh. Serve over ice cream and yoghurt or as a sweetener in cocktails