Rose Hip Jelly

Rinse the rose hips thoroughly. Cut off the scraggly ends and discard.

Place the rose hips in a large, non-reactive pot. Add 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour (or longer), until rose hips are soft and mashable.

Use a potato masher to mash up the rose hips into a rough purée.

Set up a jelly bag, a large, very fine mesh strainer, or 4 layers of cheesecloth over a bowl or large pot.

Transfer the rose hip mixture into the jelly bag/strainer/cheesecloth. Let strain into the bowl for at least an hour. Squeeze the jelly bag or cheesecloth to get remaining juice out.

You'll need 5 to 6 half-pint canning jars and lids. Sterilize the jars using the method you prefer. Wash the lids in hot, soapy water.

You will need 3 cups of juice for this recipe, so if you have less than 3 cups, add more water to the mixture (you can also add some boiling water to the jelly bag if you still have it set up, allowing more liquid to drain out).

Place 3 cups of the rose hip juice in a large, wide pot. Add the lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a boil, dissolving all of the pectin.

Add the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the butter.

Bring to a hard boil (one that you can not reduce by stirring).

The mixture will bubble up considerably. Boil for exactly 1 minute.

Remove the pot from heat and pour off into hot canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace from the rim.

If any jelly falls on the rim as you pour it into the jars, wipe the rim with a damp paper towel. Place clean lids on the jars secure fingertip-tight.

Process the jars in a water bath for 10 minutes. To process, place the jars on a rack in a large, tall stock pot. Cover with 1 inch of water and bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes.

Then turn off the heat, remove the jars from the water, and let cool. As the jars cool you should hear a popping sound as the lids seal. The lids should seal; if not, store in the refrigerator.

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