I’m updating this because we went on a late night foraging raid on some sand dunes at the weekend! We got quite the haul! Check out the before and after pix at the bottom of the article!
It’s that time of year again. Rosa Rugosa roses are forming their “hips” following flowering. Hairy and prickly they are an amazing food supplement when rendered into a syrup.
Delicious. I picked them off the sand dunes at the beach this weekend and today I boiled them until slightly softened, used my emulsifier to break them up a bit (I have also blitzed them in a food processor before), brought back to the boil, let sit for 15 minutes, and poured into muslin/cheesecloth sitting in a sieve over a bowl. I sterilized a jelly jar and decanted the delicious syrup.
The rose hips are called Rosa Rugosa. They have a TON of seeds in them. Using great care (they ARE roses after all) I pulled the stems and stalks off. I then decided not to sacrifice my Nutribullet to their leather-like skins and seeds so I par-boiled them until the skins were softer and only then blitzed them up into small pieces.
Here’s a picture of them boiling. Don’t boil for too long. Also don’t macerate for too long as the Vit C starts to die from the moment you start messing with the hips.
Then I strained them. I remember my mother used to strain this pulp through her laddered (laundered!) nylons stockings but I actually had some muslin handy!
Add a sweetener (I used local honey for the allergy benefits) to taste. Feel free to add some zing with ginger and/or lemon. I did both this summer and as well as making a delicious food supplement it makes a great addition to a cocktail! Pour into a sterilized container like these recycled glass jars and bottles, or put up conventionally.
Rose Hip syrup has twenty times more Vitamin C than oranges. And it’s awesome in martinis, or as a spoon a day to ward off colds.
For an earlier article on the wonder of Rose hips and their use during World War II, go here.
