How to use Rosehips
The Wild Rose of the British Isles….
Late August sees the first fruits of the flowering shrub the wild rose. Also known as dog rose the shrub flowers from June to July and can be found in woodland, along hedgerows and scrubland. The shrub and fruit is best known for its use as a syrup and in years gone by was used as a health drink for sick children. Later studies would justify this as they are said to contain four times the level of vitamin C as blackcurrants and as much as twenty times that of an orange.
These few have been picked mainly for photographic purposes and to share the information on the blog. In truth August is a little early for picking them, they are best eaten after the first frost which helps to soften them. The best time to pick them is from mid September to mid October, avoid November unless you are lucky. One thing to remember about rosehips are the tiny hairs which cover the seeds. Look out for these because they make the mother of all itching powders! You have been warned 
Rosehips bring out the old English in me, I’m going through a bit of an old England retro phase at the moment and want to explore further the links between food and history in England. I cannot help but think we have all but given up on our food culture and should do more to prevent it from becoming obsolete. Wild roses and hips seem like a good way to start so i’ll give you a recipe for the syrup. Further research throws up recipes for wine, jelly and soup and, from what I can gather is a tea made from the leaves.
If anyone wants a recipe for the jelly then let me know.
Recipe for Rosehip Syrup
2lb/1kg Rosehips
4 1/2pints/3 litres Water
1lb/450g White Sugar
Wash fruit, remove stalks and chop into rough pieces. Boil 3 pints of water and add the fruit, reboil and remove from heat. Leave to rest for thirty minutes before passing through a jelly bag. Leave until the juice has dripped through into another bowl. Return the pulp left in the jelly bag to a pan and cover with the remaining boiling water. Bring back to the boil, infuse and pass again.
Take a clean pan and pour in the strained juice until you have a litre or so. Pour in the sugar, stir well and bring back to the boil, after five minutes of hard boiling pour into warm, sterilized bottles. Leave to cool and and store in a cool, dark place.
Miles,
Now you’re talking …. this is one of my most favourite things, matter of fact I bought a small bottle of the syrup just the other day and at some expense I might add. I love it on pancakes and porridge etc and as a hot drink especially during the misery of colds. So then you can guarantee I shall be out there when dear old rosa canina bares fruit, basket in hand.
For anyone interested in skincare, rosehip seed oil is a wonderful rejuvenating treatment. Sadly we can’t make this ourselves without an industrial press, but it is readily available online and can be added to any existing skincare routine. I should point out that it doesn’t smell of roses so gentlemen don’t be afraid
Cid
August 23, 2008 @ 8:20 am
Cid,
Thanks for the tip although I don’t think I am that modern a man to rub it on my skin
Miles
August 23, 2008 @ 4:35 pm
Miles
is it me - I ‘think’ I used to see rose hips everywhere !
Now I cannot recall seeing rose hips anywhere ?
Cheers
Rod
August 23, 2008 @ 5:55 pm
Rod,
I think you could be right, we did use them for rather sinister purposes as boys though so perhaps we were more aware of them.
Funny you should say that because I was looking at a wild rose bush with our beloved parents today and Mrs C. recalled being pestered by naughty German boys with the itching powder from rose hips when she was a girl.
Miles
August 23, 2008 @ 7:40 pm
Miles,
Today I was out gathering elderberries for a medicinal syrup, following on from the elderflower and rosehip recipes.
I needed about 15/20 heads which are easy to pick (as with the hips, leave some for the birds and don’t pick fruit on busy roads for the sake of safety and fumes) and no thorns (she says still carrying the scars from the wild rose
). Wearing rubber gloves is essential to strip the berries from their stems. Wash them and put them in a non reactive pan… presumably not aluminium?…. cover with water to about 1cm above the fruit and add a few cloves and a stick of cinnamon. Bring to boil then simmer for about 25mins until the berries yield their juice. Pour through a sieve then discard the pulp. Measure the juice…. for every 600ml add 450gms sugar. Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves then boil for 10mins. Store in glass bottles or screw top jars which have been sterilized and then seal. There is some debate as to how long this will keep but the sugar content is high and if it’s refrigerated, it should last for at least a couple of weeks, perhaps longer. The syrup can be added to yoghurt or icecream etc and diluted, taken as a drink hot or cold. The taste is difficult to describe but I would say an ‘ironish’ sweet blackberry with the heady note of spicy clove.
Will it help cure a cold? Well, we must wait and see but I’m glad I’ve finally made something from these berries after so many years admiring them from afar.
Cid ~ in hedgerow heaven
September 17, 2008 @ 7:02 pm
Cid,
Thankyou for that, a wonderful recipe and it is great to see you making the most of your natural larder. It’s such a good feeling to make something like this isn’t it?
Well done indeed.
Miles
September 17, 2008 @ 8:07 pm