Rose Hip Chutney
Submitted by kerschen
Rose hip chutney blends foraged rose hips with apples, raisins, apple cider vinegar, ginger, and cayenne for a tangy-sweet preserve that pairs with holiday ham, turkey, or game.
YIELD
1 batchPREP
10 minCOOK
15 minREADY
30 minRose hip chutney is old-world foraging jam-making at its finest, a small-batch preserve that transforms rose hips (the tart fruit that forms after the rose blooms drop) into something remarkable. High in vitamin C and naturally pectin-rich, rose hips produce a chutney with a uniquely floral-citrusy undertone nothing else replicates.
De-seeding the rose hips is tedious but essential. The seeds carry tiny irritant hairs that must be removed to avoid ruining the finished chutney. Wear gloves if your skin is sensitive. A paring knife split and scoop is the classic method.
An overnight soak in apple cider vinegar along with raisins and chopped apples gets the maceration process started. The next day, everything goes into one heavy pot with ginger, cayenne, cloves, garlic, brown sugar, lemon and orange juice, and orange zest. A slow simmer reduces everything into a glossy, thick chutney.
The pour-into-jars, paraffin-seal method is traditional but modern home canners should use proper water-bath canning or refrigerator storage for food safety.
This is a chutney that wants to age. Leave it a month minimum before opening. Three months is better. The vinegar mellows, the spices bloom, and the rose hip character fully develops.
Chef Tips
- Harvest rose hips after the first frost for sweeter, softer fruit. Early-season hips are firm and bland.
- Use wild rose hips (rosa rugosa or rosa canina) rather than florist-rose hips, which have been sprayed.
- Taste and adjust the cayenne. Three-quarters teaspoon is a gentle warmth; go to a full teaspoon if you like proper heat.
- Serve with ham, turkey, cold game, a well-aged cheese, or pate. Chutney’s job is to cut richness.
Variations
- Substitute hawthorn berries or cranberries for half the rose hips if fresh hips are scarce.
- Add a cinnamon stick and 3 whole star anise to the simmer for deeper spice warmth.
- Swap the brown sugar for honey for a more floral sweetness.
Ingredients
Directions
Remove seeds from rosehips.
Soak the rosehips, raisins or sultanas, and apples in vinegar overnight.
After soaking, place the rosehips with remaining ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a boil oveer high heat, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened.
Leave to cool, then place chutney in clean, dry jars and cover with parafin and cellophane and plastic-lined lids (or glass jars with rubber seals and hinged lids).
Store chutney in a cool place.
Keep for at least a month before using.
Like all chutneys, this one improves with age.
It goes well with, turkey, ham, or game and is good during the winter holidays.
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