[:hk]洛神花果醬【天然紅寶石】Rosella Jam ( Wild Hibiscus) Recipe [:en]Rosella Jam ( Wild Hibiscus)[:]

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果醬的發明據聞是源於水果採收季節短暫的北歐，為了能在不同的季節享用水果想出將水果加工的辦法，延長保質期，在沒有新鮮的水果的季節也能吸收水果的營養。這些生活智慧，就算來到現代還是很實用的。北風起的時候，便看不到新鮮的洛神花踪影，做成果醬，冬天也可品嚐。和藍莓一樣，洛神花的果膠非常豐富，煮數分鐘便成了濃稠的果醬，凝固點也不用測試，非常容易。

洛神花是春夏的當造果實，有清涼降火、生津止渴、利尿的功效，很適合夏季享用。紅寶石般的顏色，受熱也不會減退或變色，是理想的天然色素，可以做蜜餞、煮茶、果凍。肥丁想把這新鮮的紅色保存起來，以便做點心小吃的時候作為天然色素使用。洛神花可解油膩，調節血脂，對高血壓、心藏病等病有幫助，不過是寒性食物，孕婦、胃酸過多，腎功能不好的朋友便不適合了。

材料 ( 份量：一瓶 250 ml )

• 新鮮落神花        200 – 250 g  ( 核是不要的，買一斤煮起來剛好一瓶 )
• 碎冰糖                120 g
• 檸檬汁                1 大匙
• 清水                    5 大匙

做法 

1. 玻璃瓶用熱水煮 5 – 10 分鐘消毒，放入焗爐 100°C烘乾，用風筒吹乾亦可

2. 洛神花洗淨，去核，只留下花瓣的部份，將花瓣切碎

3. 小鍋中加放入已切碎的洛神花，加入碎冰糖 ( 冰糖盡量打碎一點，以便溶解，可縮短熬煮的時間 ) 及清水，中火加熱，洛神花果膠很豐富，熬煮時要不斷攪拌，以免焦底

4. 數分鐘後，花瓣變軟和冰糖溶解後，果醬漸變濃稠，轉小火，加入檸檬汁，用木勺能刮到底便可入瓶，加蓋倒置成真空狀態，待涼後可放入雪櫃保存，保質期約 3 個月

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Rosella Jam is the simple sweetheart of this subtropical gardener, goes to work on the spent hibiscus flowers. The taste is similar to that of cranberries–sour and tangy.

材料 ( 份量：一瓶 250 ml )

• 200 – 250 g Fresh Hibiscus Flowers
• 120 g Rock Sugar, Crashed
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 5 tbsp Water

Preparation

1. Sterilise glass jar in boiling water for 5 – 10 mins, dried in oven at 100°C or with hair dryer.

2. Rinse hibiscus flowers and remove seeds. Discard seeds. Chop flowers petals into small pieces.

3. In a saucepan, add chopped flowers petals with rock sugar and water. Simmer for around 3 mins over medium heat until flower is soft and all sugar melt. Stir instantly to prevent it burn.

4. Turn to low heat, add lemon juice. Swirl your spatula through your cooking jam, hold it up over the pot, and watch how it falls. If it forms thick droplets that hang heavily off the bowl of the utensil, but don’t immediately fall off, it is done.

5. Ladle into hot jars/canning jars, leaving 1.5 cm headspace, wipe rims and add lids and bands. Over turn the jar to seal. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 ~ 3 months.

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