Rose Hips

If you have roses, you have probably noticed that they produce rose hips in the fall, or anytime after the rose blooms and fades and is not cut off. Rose hips are the “fruit” of the rose. Roses are very closely botanically related to apples, so one can think of rose hips as tiny “rose apples.” If you garden organically, that is, if you did not spray your roses with any fungicides, pesticides, or any other “–cides,” you can harvest your “crop” of rose hips and make good things from them.
Rose hips are very high in nutrients, especially Vitamin C. They also contain iron, Vitamin A, bioflavanoids, pectin, Vitamin E, selenium, manganese, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, and silicon. You can simply pick them and eat them raw, if you like. They are hard and a bit bitter, a little like crabapples. One can also pick them and use them in recipes and to make tea. They are ripe when brightly colored, usually orange or red.
If you don’t have roses in your yard, you may be able to find them out in the meadows or woods where wild roses grow. The rose hips may be used fresh or dried. To dry rose hips, examine them and discard any with discoloration. Wash them in cold water, dry with paper towels, and place them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. When they are partially dried, probably in a week or so, cut them in half and remove the seeds. A week or so later they will look wrinkly and darker and be ready to store in a glass jar in the refrigerator or freezer. Be sure to rub or cut off any stems or blossom ends. You may snack on these any time you want some energy, or use them in recipes. Anytime you use rose hips, it is recommended that you remove the seeds - whether fresh or dried. They are not poisonous, but may be irritating to some people's digestive systems.
The easiest way to use rose hips is for delicious and nutritious rose hip tea. For tea, hips may be used fresh or dried. Most of the nutrition of the rose hip is contained in the skin and just under the skin.
To make tea from fresh rose hips, steep two tablespoons of fresh cleaned hips in a cup of boiling water for ten minutes. To use dried hips, use two teaspoons of hips and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes in a cup of boiling water. Sweeten to taste with honey and enjoy your vitamin rich and fragrant tea!
If you have a lot of rose hips, you can make rose hip syrup. Wash the rose hips and put them in a non-reactive pot. (not aluminum) Just cover them with water and bring them to a boil. Then lower your heat and simmer for fifteen minutes. Strain off the resulting liquid, pressing the hips lightly with a spoon. The liquid can now be used immediately or frozen for later use. To make the syrup, add one part honey to two parts of the rose hip liquid. Dissolve the honey by stirring. The syrup can be stored for up to two weeks and may be served on pancakes, waffles, or vanilla ice cream. Tastes best if warmed.
In Sweden, they use lots of rose hips and consume them by the tons every year. They probably learned to use rose hips to have Vitamin C in the cold long winter they have in that northern country. One of their favorite recipes is Rose Hip Soup.
To make four servings of soup use the following:
3 cups of rose hip liquid (as above) fresh or frozen
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Teaspoons cornstarch
In a saucepan, heat rose hip liquid and add honey and lemon juice. Remove ½ cup of the mixture and whisk cornstarch into this until smooth. Return thickened cornstarch mixture into the pan. Cook and stir until mixture bubbles and thickens. It is now ready to serve. Add a spoonful of sour cream or plain yogurt to each bowlful with a sprig of mint, if desired.
Some adventurous people even make rose hip wine.
If you are one of these people I would be glad to come and sample some of your product!