Out walking in this stunning autumnal weather, I stumbled across some rosehips. Remembering back to my childhood of picking these beauties and then the arduous time- consuming task of preparing them, I now understand why my Mum put myself and my three siblings to work making this Scandinavian delicacy. After picking, each rosehip needs to be topped and tailed and have its seeds removed. Gloves are essential for this task as the seeds cause itching. After this the chutney takes no time at all to make. In this recipe I have added red chilli and pink peppercorns to enhance both the flavour and colour. The result is a bright red chutney perfect for a very special Christmas present for the select few (spoiler alert if my siblings are reading this). I am pleased to say this was not made with any cruelty to children and thank you to my Swedish Mother for her inspiration.

Ingredients:

500g freshly picked rosehips with all stalks removed

2 small shallots, fine chopped

2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

10ml (2 tsp) whole pink peppercorns

2.5ml (1/2 tsp) salt

75ml cider vinegar

200g granulated sugar

Method: 

1. Top and tail each rosehip and cut in half. Remove the seeds with a teaspoon and make sure you use disposable gloves.
2. Rinse the prepared rosehips with cold water and drain in a colander. Make sure you have completely removed all the seeds.
3. Roughly chop the rosehips and add to a heavy-based pan along with the remaining ingredients and 200ml water.
4. Bring to the boil, stirring gently to dissolve the sugar and simmer for approximately  20-25 minutes or until thickened. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking at the base of the pan.
5. Pour into sterilised jars and seal. Store in a cold dark place.
6. Delicious served with bread and cheese as well as cold meats.