The Benefit of Rose Hips
In Idaho, roses are still in bloom in mid October. They have graced our summer with fragrant flowers, petals for teas, jams, and wines, and oils for beauty and wound healing. Soon the first frost will kill off the blooms and the bushes will slumber until next year. But roses have one more gift to give us for the season - rose hips!
The fruit of the rose, these little red berries develop beneath unplucked rose blossoms. Rose hip tea has been used for centuries in many cultures for prevention and treatment of colds and flu. Packed with at least 30x the vitamin C of OJ - yeah, rose hips have 541 mg per cup - they send orange juice blushing to the corner. They have anti-inflammatory properties and help lower blood sugar levels. Energetically, rose hips have the same properties as the rose itself - it lifts the spirits and calms anxiety.
They are easy to harvest and forage. Just pluck the little berries off the bush that are free of herbicides and pesticides. Remove stems and leaves, give them a little bath. Use them right away or and set them out to dry for later use. Their peak harvest season is September through the winter. Don’t worry if you weren’t able to pick some right away, you can harvest them even dried off the bush throughout the winter. Nature does the work for us sometimes.
Rose hips have a pleasant flavor - slightly floral with a little berry tang. Use them in teas, to make jellies, cordials, jams and sauces. A small handful of rose hips makes a fine pot of tea. Rose hips have tiny hairs in them that can irritate the digestive system so use a tea ball or strainer. I am just now harvesting and will have my rose hip jelly recipe up this week. Check back soon.
