Marmalade is a preserve made from citrus fruit, and in this regard is similar to jam, which is in turn made from berries. Marmalade is a popular food in developed Western culture and has been a staple food for many centuries because it is an effective way to transfer the beneficial properties of a perishable fruit, into a functional food that can be stored almost indefinitely. Rose hip “marmalade” is not a true marmalade as it is not made solely from citrus fruit but rose hips can be added to orange marmalade to add flavour. Alternatively rose hips can be used on their own to create jam, as the rose hip is technically a berry. Rose hips are rich in a number of vitamins including A, B and K, but are particularly high in vitamin C. In addition, rose hips are also high in phenolic antioxidants, especially flavonoids. Adding rose hips to marmalade is therefore a way of enriching an already vitamin C rich preserve with additional vitamin C, and this was perhaps an important consideration before oranges were widely available in the countries at higher latitudes and before the advent of refrigeration. As a result of the phenolic antioxidants and vitamin C, rose hip marmalades and jams are evidenced to have excellent antioxidant properties and in this regard can be considered a healthy food choice.
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