Rosehip Wine

[Two_Sheds]

Rosehip Wine

2lb /900g fresh rose hips (I freeze mine to split the skins a bit)
3lb /1.35kg sugar (dissolved in 3 litres boiling water)
1 tsp pectolase
1 tsp citric acid (or juice of a lemon)

1 tsp yeast nutrient
wine yeast

You should try not to break or split the seeds, as bitterness will be released. Certainly don't use an electric blender to break up the hips. I used a mallet, which sent them pinging round the kitchen, then I just sliced the hips with a knife. Rosehips are a real faff, and I won't be bothering again

1. Place crushed/split hips in a fermenting bin with the sugar syrup. When cooled to about 20c, add rest of ingredients. Stir daily for a week.

2. Strain into a DJ, fit airlock. Rack & clear as usual.

from A Step by Step Guide to Making Homemade Wine: Amazon.co.uk: Judith Irwin: Books

[Two_Sheds]

2 Sheds variation on the above

Rosehip & Berry Wine

20 oz rosehips, crushed or split
6 oz raspberries
8 oz blackberries (I freeze all my fruit, to sterilize it & split the skins a bit)
1kg sugar
1600ml red grape juice (pressed, not UHT)
yeast
1 tsp pectolase
1 tsp nutrient
1 tsp citric acid


Method as previous recipe.
I got fed up of crushing rosehips, so used the berries to make up the weight. It worked really well, and was clear after 3 months

You could use a sugar syrup instead of the grape juice, or apple juice instead... experiment a bit

[rustylady]

Thanks TwoSheds. Picked a load of rosehips yesterday. I didn't realise about splitting the seeds - glad you posted that cos I was going to put the hips in the food processor.

[Pickle]

I read somewhere if you wrap the rosehips in a tea towel or something a bit bigger and smash them against the wall it does a great job of splitting the rosehip skins. I'm hoping to test this theory this weekend

[rustylady]

I read somewhere if you wrap the rosehips in a tea towel or something a bit bigger and smash them against the wall it does a great job of splitting the rosehip skins. I'm hoping to test this theory this weekend

Have fun cleaning the walls!! I put mine in a bucket and pound them with a rolling pin.

[Pickle]

Have fun cleaning the walls!! I put mine in a bucket and pound them with a rolling pin.

Someone else said that on the site I read it and the advice was to do it on an outside wall Although bucket and rolling pin does sound easier

[Scottishnewbie]

anyon made this and any idea how long it takes to mature? i read somewhere that rosehip can take TWO YEARS!

started a couple off tonight with dried hips (found them in my wine box - forgot i had them!)

[Two_Sheds]

I leave all my wines for 12 months before I drink them, except fruit teabag wines which are lovely almost immediately. I haven't tasted my rosehip yet, it's in the depths of the garage somewhere.

You could do a Rosehip Tea wine while you're waiting for the real thing to mature?

[Larkrise]

anyon made this and any idea how long it takes to mature? i read somewhere that rosehip can take TWO YEARS!

started a couple off tonight with dried hips (found them in my wine box - forgot i had them!)

We've made rosehip wine over the last 2 years and found it quite a quick maturing wine, best around 4-6 months. We used 4 and 1/2 lbs rosehips per gallon and a rolling pin to split the cases. Incidentally, it's pretty lethal!!