simmer half a kilo of rose hips, whole but stalks removed, in half a litre of water for one hour, smashing a bit occasionally with a wooden spoon. Drip through a double thickness of muslin (or an on its last leg's tea towel) overnight.
The juice has a strong and concentrated flavour and only one eighth of a litre (quarter of a pint) is needed for each recipe.
(Rose hip soup, light version)
One eighth litre RH juice
15 g butter
1 small onion
1 tspn. tomato puree
one and a half pints stock; chicken or veg.
1 tspn. Worcester sauce
half tspn. salt
black pepper
melt butter in a pan, add the finely chopped onion, cover pan and sweat gently, over a low heat for 5 mins. Add the tom puree, stir and add RH juice, stock, Worcester sauce and seasoning. Cover pan and simmer gently for 20 mins. Push through a sieve or liquidise, check seasoning and serve hot with croutons.
Thick Rose Hip Soup
One eighth litre RH juice
15g butter
1 med. onion
I med carrot
15g flour
2 tspns sugar
three quarters litre stock, chicken or veg
1 blade of mace or pinch of ground mace
Salt and pepper
1 tspn Worcester sauce
Melt butter in a pan,peel and thinly slice onion and carrot and fry gently together for 5 mins. Shake in flour and stir to blend, then stir in RH juice and stock and bring to a slow simmer.
Add sugar, seasoning ans Worc. sauce. Cover pan and simmer gently for 20 mins. Serve hot.
If you don't tell people what the soup is made of they will think it's a very good tomato soup!
2 tspns. sugar
1