Foraging for rosehips is an excellent place to start if you’re interested in experimenting with wild foods. Here in England they grow in almost every private garden and in pretty much every parK! Rosehips are cultivated in late summer to early autumn when the bloom has run its course. We like making tea with ours, but there are plenty of other exciting ways to use them. You can make rosehip infused liquor by bottling hips with gin, vodka, whiskey or rum and steeping for months or even make rosehip jams, jellies and oils!
Rosehip tea has been used as a remedy to treat the flu and build up the immune system for centuries as the hips contain about 40 times more vitamin C than citrus fruits! So, if you are feeling under the weather this is the tea for you!
To make the tea pick your hips when they turn orange or red (they don’t need to be soft) and have no traces of green left in them. Fill a saucepan with water and throw a handful of cleaned hips in. Bring to the boil and then let simmer for 15-20 minutes until the tea has a nice rosey colour. Strain and serve with a little honey for sweetness.
Learn to make:
Rosehip jam for your morning toast
Rosehip syrup to complement cocktails
Rosehip oil for the skin
Rosehip vodka for fun weekends
Benefits of rosehips:
Historically, rosehips have been used as a natural remedy for many diseases and ailments. They may help reduce signs of aging and lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and osteoarthritis pain. Rosehips have a very high vitamin C content, approx (per 100g) 1150 – 2500mg in comparison to oranges which have approx 53mg per 100g.
Keep in mind:
Always be sure that the plant you are collecting your hips from has not been treated with pesticides. Vitamin C can interfere with blood thinning medications, consume with caution if you are on any blood thinning drugs or are sensitive to vitamin C.