Cynosbastus Apothecary Syrup Recipe

Brew Your Own Autumnal Rob 

Rose Hip, Elderberry, Bitter Orange & Thyme Honey Syrup. This recipe makes approximately 350ml of this tangy and sweet autumn elixir, offering gentle immune support and an energy boost.

Ingredients

100g dried rose hip shells
50g dried elderberries
50g dried bitter orange peel
750ml water
250g thyme, rose & lemon balm infused honey

A rob was a traditional apothecary preparation made by extracting the juice of fruits or herbs and concentrating it into a thick, rich syrup. 

The word comes from the Arabic rubb, meaning a concentrated juice or syrup. Fruit robs were particularly valued in European pharmacy, where tart and astringent fruits such as rose hips, quinces and sloes were transformed into preparations that were both medicinal and pleasant to taste.

Rose hip syrup was known as rose hip rob, while a thicker rose hip conserve was known as Conserva Cynosbati. 

The two preparations are related, but not quite the same: a rob is primarily a concentrated juice, whereas a conserve retains much more of the fruit pulp and is prepared with refined sugar.

The name Cynosbastus comes from the ancient Greek name associated with the wild rose and its fruit, the rose hip. More than a thousand years later, rose hips were still being prepared in European apothecaries as Conserva Cynosbati, a traditional rose hip conserve.

The fruit of the wild English rose begins ripening in the hedgerows from late August and can be harvested throughout autumn.

In Culpeper's Complete Herbal & English Physician (1665), Nicholas Culpeper describes rose hip pulp as having a “pleasant grateful acidity” and recommends it for the stomach, fevers, coughs and scurvy. He also describes it as “pectoral”, meaning traditionally associated with the chest and respiratory system.

Rose hips later became particularly famous for their vitamin C content during the Second World War, when Britain faced shortages of imported oranges and other fresh produce. Rose hip syrup was produced and distributed as an important domestic source of vitamin C.

Method

Begin with 100g of dried rose hip shells, 50g of dried elderberries and 50g of dried bitter orange peel.

Together, these fruits create a deeply flavoured, aromatic autumnal blend, rich in the natural compounds found in rose hips, elderberries and citrus peel.

Add 750ml of water and gently simmer the fruit until the liquid is richly coloured and fragrant and the fruit has softened to pulp.

Strain the mixture through a sieve, separating the liquid from the fruit. Press or squeeze the fruit gently to extract as much liquid as possible, then pass the juice through a fine muslin cloth to remove the smaller particles.

You should be left with a beautiful, deep ruby-red fruit infusion.

While the liquid is still warm but not boiling, stir in 250g of honey until completely dissolved.

Pour into sterilised bottles, allow to cool, then refrigerate.

Storage: Keep refrigerated and use within approximately two weeks. For longer storage, a validated preservation method and appropriate testing would be needed.

This is a warming, richly flavoured autumn elixir, combining the tartness of rose hips and elderberries with bitter orange and the aromatic sweetness of infused honey.