Rosehip and Crab Apple Jelly

As everyone does on a cold autumn Sunday morning OH and I decided mushroom picking was the way to go, so we dragged ourselves out of bed donned our fleece and waterproof clothing and ventured out into the wilds of Shropshire.
Our Mushrooming was unsuccessful to say the least (we found one lone field mushroom) fortunately we did manage to get a good crop of Rosehips, Crab Apples and Blackberries, which we weren't really expecting at the end of October, so I decided to try my hand at Rosehip and Crab Apple Jelly and Blackberry, Apple and Chilli Chutney.
I apologise for the lack of photo's, this is my first blag post so I forgot to take photo's as I was going. I will do better next time :)

Rosehip and Crab apple Jelly.

500g Rose Hips
500g Crab Apples (any variety)
1 lemon
1 lime
1 tbsp Honey
1 kg of Sugar (you probably wont use it all)

1, Before you start your jelly, put a saucer in the freezer. wash y6our jars in warm soapy water and pop into the oven at 140C/120C fan/gas 1 for 10 mins.
Thoroughly wash the rosehips and apples. Your rosehips will take a long time to cook, so put them in a pan with water to generously cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 40 mins, topping up with hot water from the kettle when necessary.

2, Halve the crab apples (no need to peel or core) and pare wide strips of peel from the lemon. Add to the pan, along with the juice from the lemon, add more hot water to cover the fruit. Return to the boil, then simmer for 20 mins until the apples and rosehips are very soft. I mash the fruit slightly with a potato masher at this point, but if you want really clear jelly just leave it whole.

3, Pour the fruit and liquid into a jelly bag and squeeze all the liquid out. if you want a really clear jelly, don't squeeze your jelly bag, leave it overnight to drip through instead.

4, Measure the juice and pour into a large clean pan, this jelly will bubble up the sides. For every litre of juice, add 800g sugar (or 80g sugar per 100g juice). Add the honey and juice from the lime.

5, Bring the mixture slowly to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil hard for 5-15 mins until setting point is reached. You can check the to see if the setting point has been reached by spooning a small amount onto the plate you had in the freezer and running your finger through it. If it's ready the jelly will wrinkle softly. If it doesn't pop your pan back on the heat for a few more minuets and test again.

6, Pour into the prepared jars, seal, label and store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

This jelly can be enjoyed with roast meats, cold cuts or with ice cream or cheesecake :)