• 200 g(7 oz) rosehips
• about 300 g(10½ oz/1⅓ cups) sugar
• juice of half a lemon

Cut the black tips off the rosehips. If they are large, remove the tuft on the end. Smaller ones may not have them and the tiny ones can be left whole (the jam is later passed through a sieve that will catch any bits). Halve the rosehips lengthways and scoop out all the seeds and hairy bits (throw these away). Put the rosehips in a saucepan and cover with 375 ml(13 fl oz/1½ cups) of warm water. Put a lid on and leave to soak overnight.

Sterilize your jars for when the hot jam is ready to bottle. It is always best to use several small jars, rather than one or two big ones. Wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water, or in the dishwasher, and rinse well in hot water. Then put the jars (and the lids) on a baking tray and leave in a 120°C (235°F/Gas ½) oven for at least 20 minutes, or until you are ready to use them. (Don’t use a tea towel to dry them — they should dry thoroughly in the oven.)

Bring the pan of rosehips to the boil, then lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Add another 125 ml(4 fl oz/½ cup) of hot water and purée thoroughly. Return to the cleaned pan. Add the sugar and lemon juice and bring to the boil to melt the sugar. Remove from the heat and pour through a sieve to collect any seeds.

Put the jam back in the pan and bring it back to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 8 minutes, stirring constantly so that nothing sticks — the jam will start glooping a bit on the surface and look a bit syrupy. Test if the jam is ready by dropping a heaped teaspoonful onto a plate. When you slightly tilt the plate, the jam should not run off, but cling and slowly glide down (it will thicken a little when it cools). If the jam seems too thick already, add a bit more water and simmer for another moment. If it doesn’t seem thick enough, carry on simmering for a while longer.

Spoon into the warm sterilized jars and close the lids tightly. Turn the jars upside down, cover with a tea towel and leave to cool (this creates a vacuum that can be seen on the lid). Turn upright and store in a cool dark place. The jam will keep for about 6 weeks before it is opened. After opening, keep it in the fridge.