So excited for Rosella jam!

So having bought some locally grown rosella seedlings earlier this year, we are so excited to see them fruit.

As we love Rosella jam. 

We had a shrub some years ago, so made it then. Rosella jam appears to have been a common recipe here in Queensland, however everyone comments that they miss it, or that thier Gran or Nona made it for them as a child.

As someone who didn't grow up with it, I can appreciate how it would be a childhood favourite. We used to await September to pick blackberries with my Nan, and loved helping her make blackberry jam (and a few apple and blackberry tarts, if we had enough).

Though rosella has quite a unique flavour, its rich like blackberry but more like a cross between strawberry and cranberry. It has a tartness but is definitely more child friendly.

So as we had enough for a jar or two. I thought we'd make a batch straight away. It's not so labour intensive.

(You can freeze the fruit until you have more if you wish... However we did not want to wait!)

So we only picked the larger fruit. Ideally you want a little space between the flower looking outer fruit and the inner seedpod.

I believe you can eat/use them earlier. But I wait for this point- you can check by gently pressing on the sides, as the bloom opens allowing you to see inside.

Once picked, wash. Then peel back the fruit (yes the flower looking head is the fruity flesh). You peel it away from the seed pod and can also use the back of the fruit, the flesh is the same.

Once you've removed the seedpod, collect separately, you need these.

Place the seedpods in a pan, or in our case, the Bellini (thermo-cheap). 

Cover with water and simmer until the pods are soft. As this is where the pectin is (the stuff that makes jam set).

Once soft strain, saving the liquid

In the mean time weigh the flesh. As you will want equal amounts of your saved liquid to fruit flesh.

Return these to the pan, add equal amount of combined fruit and liquid to sugar.

Simmer and stir until sugar and flesh has 'desolved'.

Transfer to sterilised and cooled jars.

The liquid does appear quite watery, but solidifies as it cools. So find cooled jars help to judge if it's set.

Once cooled enjoy!

We collected about 200g of fruit flesh which made a 500g jar plus some. So was easily enough for two good sized jars. And this makes a fantastic gift or crowd pleaser.

Jam and curd tarts...more childhood memories!