Rose hips

[Arzosah]

Does anybody else use their rose hips, and the petals of the roses, to eat?

I've got at least a dozen rose plants in this garden that I have now, and the hips have been ripening at very different times of year. The first dozen hips or so that appeared didn't look like they were going to ripen at all, so I cut them and put them on the windowsill to dry.

After about 3 weeks, they looked horrible so I sliced them open very carefully - and found lovely black seeds, maybe 3 or 4 in each hip, in amongst a lot of fibrous, matted material. I've dried the seeds (sat them on that same windowsill!) and since then I've done a bit of research about recipes for rose hip syrup - and every single one talks about straining what you've boiled. My guess is that the fibrous material, as well as the skin and the seeds, is what people are trying to get rid of. I wonder about saving the seeds (to eat, like on my breakfast porridge) and boiling up the skins anyway, but I'm not hugely desperate to experiment.

Anybody have any information about rose hips and rose seeds?

 

[zigs]

I regularly make rose hip syrup, except for this year, the season has been so bad i've left them for the birds, figure they need them more than me.

Its strained thru a jelly bag as the fibre is very irritating. We used to use that as itching powder at school

 

[Lanie]

I don't have any personal experience with eating rose hips, but I had a neighbor once who told me that her grandmother would make jam out of them. I Googled it and found this recipe if you're interested:

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/canning/rose-hip-jam/

While I was looking into that I found this interesting article that explains that the seeds are indeed edible, but may be bitter to taste:

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5682327_rose-hip-seeds-safe-eat_.html

I hope that this helps.

 

[Jed]

I used to collect the rose hips for tea. I would pick them and thread them onto a needle and cotton to make a long bead type string of them. They would hang from the ceiling in the kitchen until they are dried when they can be put away ready to use.
Not quite like this pic but I guess you can dry most things this way.

 

[Arzosah]

This is wonderful, thank you so much!

I've heard of the itching powder thing, that definitely must be the white matted fibres I saw.

So, I could pick the rose hips as they turn red, dry them in the kitchen, then make a rose hip jelly, and when I've strained the gunk out and made the jelly, I could also, if I was feeling picky, retrieve the seeds, if they're still useable by then - the ehow article describes them as being helpful in the fight against osteoarthritis, which would be lovely.

I know what you mean about leaving some for the birds - but they haven't touched any at all of the seeds, I don't think the birds round here want them so I'd better take them!

 

[slicings]

Wow, I've harvested rose hips for tea for years now, and I never thought about making jelly. That's a great idea.Thanks!

I don't cook with the petals though. I add them to candles I make. People really love the look they give the wax.

 

[suzjbibby]

I harvested all the hips from some wild roses once and made a lovely batch of syrup. I just may do it again this year if I can organise to go get some. I used to live just next door to them but now I'd have to organise a trip to pick them.
My husband thought I was loopy and would not even taste it, I didn't mind it meant all the more for me, and the babies, I added some to their juice, such a good source of vitamin C

 

[Arzosah]

Thats a great idea! I've harvested all of mine now from the garden, and this year I'm going to look out for wild areas - not in the town, though, the pesticide sprays that the local landscaping company uses are really fierce. They don't spray trees, but I'm sure they spray rose-height shrubs.

 

[MandaElaine]

I wasn't aware that there were so many uses for rose hips! My roses are covered in them, but I have never harvested them. I may have to try out the tea or jam!

 

[maddie]

I have a question for those of you on this thread. If you allow the hips to ripen on the bush, would you not prevent the roses from flowering more? I have been told to cut the stem when the rose is fading so that I can have more flowers.. I have never allowed rose hips to ripen. I would be glad to hear from you.

 

[zigs]

It would stop more flowers, same with picking beans, allow one to set seed and the plant has done its job of making babies & just stops.

Saying that, a rose bush can produce a hell of a lot of babies

 

[lurhstaap]

Yes, it's true that you will see fewer flowers overall if you allow hips to ripen on the plant but honestly our roses flower so prolifically that we've never felt a need to cut the hips to make them flower more. I suppose it comes down to what's more important to you -- having lots of flowers for a long period of time each year, or getting the hips to use.

I've given a lot of thought to the idea of rose hips as edible. Sometimes I've wondered why no one ever tried to breed roses for their fruit, like we do so many other related plants (apples and so on.) But I've never actualy used them myself. I think I may have to try some of these things this year.

 

[maddie]

Thanks for clarifying the point. I would love to have the flowers.. I don't think I would go for the fruit. That is because the flowers in my container garden are few and far between.

 

[Dragonfiremule]

I use the hips for tea! Its delicious, and has tons of vitamin C. I made perfume out of the petals one year; although it was very weak and I don't think I'll do it again. It was too much work for too little of a product. I still make rose hip tea every year though.
Thanks for the jam idea! I never thought of it, but it looks delicious. I'm going to have to try it once my rose hips ripen!