Using Rose Hips

Tip: Hints for Using Rose Hips

EllenB
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 858 Posts

November 19, 2005

From teas to preserves, a quick search of the internet will produce a bounty of interesting recipes for rose hips. Before you harvest them for use, follow these simple guidelines:

• Use only rose hips that come from plants free of pesticides and herbicides.

• Stop deadheading blossoms in mid to late August so hips can form.

• Wait until after the first frost before harvesting. The color of the hips will be bright and their texture softer. This will also concentrate the sugars for a sweeter taste.

• To prepare for recipes, trim off stem and blossom ends and cut hips lengthwise to remove the seeds and small hairs. Wash thoroughly and spread them in a single layer on a tray or drying rack. Dry them in a food dehydrator, in an oven on the lowest setting or in a dark, well-ventilated place.

• Rose hips used for decorative crafts can be dried whole and kept in a cool, dark place.

• Leave some hips on the bush for the birds. They provide a great source of winter food and protective cover. For a festive garland birds will love, string a garland with rose hips, popcorn, nuts and dried fruits to hang on a tree near your home.

Comments

Janice C.
Silver Feedback Medal for All Time! 418 Feedbacks

September 7, 20070 found this helpful

Thank you, Ellen, for a great tip. I have lots of old, antique rosebushes in my yard and I guess the birds have been eating the hips all along. Given the controversy about most of our vitamin C being made in China, I'll be harvesting my own this fall.

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