Foraging - Rose Hips

[ladylottie]

I've never used them for anything - but I did grow up on Rosehip Syrup!! I believe they have lots of hairs inside so need straining well.

Yes, your "cooking with rosehips" link says that if you don't remove the hairs, you can get what the Aboriginal people call "itchy bottom disease"

[binley100]

You need to strain them through muslin twice to make sure the hairs are gone........

[veggiechicken]

Yes, your "cooking with rosehips" link says that if you don't remove the hairs, you can get what the Aboriginal people call "itchy bottom disease"

You need to strain them through muslin twice to make sure the hairs are gone........

I don't know quite how to put this, but at what point do you strain?

[binley100]

After you've chopped them up and poured boiling water on them according to one recipe ........need to consult my books on other methods

[Kaiya]

Personally I chop/blend them, boil them up, strain overnight (I use a jelly bag as my muslins aren't that fine), boil with sugar, strain and bottle. I've also added apple to make a jelly (add chopped apple at the same time as chopped rosehips and put into jars instead of bottles), which is quite frankly the food of the gods - works with meat, cheese and in yoghurt. Every hedgerow jelly I make seems to have them in as well. I use domestic hips from garden bushes and wild ones - although under half the size, hawthorns can look slightly similar (same family after all) I suppose, but all the rosehips I've found have been on plants that looked very much like roses to me (rose leaves etc.)

[Feral007]

I have a rather embarrassing amount of briar rose in my gully! No, VC don't say it!

I will be chopping them down as fast as possible to keep the weeds inspector happy as they too are classed as a weed in need of getting rid of. I did however find a rather large specimen right up the back of the property (but not visible from the fire trail) and it was chocca's with rosehips last season. I didn't get any of them tho shame on me. So the plan is to eradicate the rose's in the gully.....with one large exception that I can use. If I managed to gather all the hips then it's not really a problem for the weeds inspector! And what he doesn't see won't cause him problems. I love rosehip tea, but now I'm wondering whether it's worth all the double straining for a cuppa? Could I boil them up and bottle them without sugar? And what is a jelly bag?

[Hazel at the Hill]

........ but only just found out they could be used for jams and wines too, hence only mentioning it now ....

Now that is clearly a plan! The chap next door but two at the Hill has a great swathe of rosa rugosa at the front of his plot which he never does anything with - I wonder if I could ask him if I can snip a bucket full after first frost?

He took his plot over from his father (retired teacher Barry) when he died - Barry was very kind to me when I first had the plot, generous with advice, seedlings and produce too. I think he would have been a very good teacher in his day - I learnt a lot from him at any rate.

He'd been quite unwell for some time, but was at the plot most Saturdays holding court, and we all helped out with the digging and any other heavy jobs that needed doing. The last time I saw him, he asked me if I'd like a heap of parsnips for making wine? Well, yes, thank you very much! I promised him a bottle when it was ready, as a thank you, not knowing that he'd pass on a couple of weeks later.

I made the wine, and after it had matured for twelve months - parsnip wine needs at least that, but then it is fabulous - I went with a bottle to the Hill and introduced myself to his son Michael on the plot, who I hadn't spoken to before.

I told him the tale and and asked him if he would take the bottle of wine as I'd promised it to his father over a year earlier. I said I'd been privileged to know Barry, and I would drink a toast to him too.

There was a bit of a pause whilst Michael weighed up if I was someone from the local loony bin trying to press a bottle of something unmentionable on him, but then accepted the wine. He's been somewhat reserved ever since - and maybe the wine went straight down the sink for all I know. Ah well, I hope Barry looked down and smiled at any rate!

So I wonder how he'll take me stalking him with a pair of secateurs for his rosehips....?

[chris]

There's probably about 30/40 metres of rosa rugosa bordering a pub over the road from me. FULL of hips. I look at them most year and think hmmmm.

Just a shame it's so close to the road!

[Kaiya]

I love rosehip tea, but now I'm wondering whether it's worth all the double straining for a cuppa? Could I boil them up and bottle them without sugar? And what is a jelly bag?

I'm not particularly fastidious and we've never had a problem with hairs - I don't strain it any more than I would a wine or a clear jam - once to get the actual fruit out and perhaps once more (if it looks like it needs it) just to polish it so it's clear. These are jelly bags (hope link works) Amazon.co.uk: jelly bags: Kitchen & Home - although muslin is cheaper I think these are brill - I stuff the mush in and hang it from a kitchen cupboard over a bowl and leave overnight. Don't squeeze the bag (tempting though it is) or you get cloudy whatever-you-are-making. Mine is now dyed black from the elderberries I put in hedgerow jelly

You need sugar if you want it to last in a cupboard but you can store neat unsweetened juice for a few days to a week probably in the fridge, or you can do what I do and freeze it in pop bottles. If you had small pop bottles you could freeze weekly tea portions and defrost as required. We use the syrup to make tea - more like a cordal - but we don't mind sweet tea.

Edit - plus anything with rosehips is worth it - amazing things! Packed with more vit C than oranges too.

[Feral007]

Sounds good, altho I wonder if the cats would leave it alone overnight? They are very curious animals.

Will check out the link and see what I can find.

[Alison]

Rosehips are pretty easy to recognise, never really had any I've been concerned about and the great thing about them is, that unlike fungi, all rosehips are useful in cooking. I made tonnes of rosehip syrup last year and I think it helped ward off colds etc.

[KittyColdNose]

Please forgive me for asking what may seem blindingly obvious...

... Can I use hips off any rose plants at all?

[rustylady]

In a word - yes. Some produce bigger hips which are easier to use.

[KittyColdNose]

Cheers RL

[MrsCordial]

This thread has been brilliant, so useful. I was eyeing up rosehips today out blackberrying with the children, but I'll hold off picking til the first frost. I'll have to be satisfied with elderberries til then.