Rose for scent (flavor)

[Tutter]

I get beautiful hips for tea from our wild roses. You'd think the hips would be smaller, but they are not a bad size at all!

Rose sorbet....mmmmm. What a great idea for a wedding dinner!

 

[Lalaith]

Hmmm... is that a proposal? But we don't know eachother yet Yes, it is excellent for wedding brunches especially. It really cleanses the palate between rich foods and it makes your lips so totally kissable!

 

[Tutter]

I never propose on first meeting! We'll just talk plants and call it good.

 

[countryatheart]

I have a bed with an assortment of antique roses. Some of them make hips. I have never used them. How do you use them?

 

[calee]

I love rose hip tea! It has a really happy, fruity taste. Rose hips are supposed to be anti-inflammatory. I don't recall seeing this printed anywhere, but an elderly friend of my folks said that they are a blood purifier, too. I was pretty young at the time and she may have been pulling my leg a little, because I've noticed some diuretic effects when I drink a lot of the tea.

Harvesting
Pick the red rose hips *after* the first frost, remove the bits of stem, the bottom parts where the rose used to be, cut them in half, scrape out the seeds & hairs, and rinse them well.

Tea
Spread the cleaned hips out to dry completely and store them in a dark cupboard in an airtight jar. Boil about 1 tablespoon per cup of water for about 5-10 minutes. They are really good mixed with hibiscus.

Jam
Bring a pound of cleaned rosehips and a cup of water to a boil in a heavy skillet, then put a lid on and simmer for about 20-30 minutes, adding water as needed to keep it from scorching. Press the softened fruits through a sieve with the back of a large wooden spoon. Discard the tough pulpy stuff left in the sieve. Put the strained liquid/fruit back in the skillet, add a pound of sugar, and simmer until thick. Pour it into sterilized jars and seal them.

I've also had a variation on this that was made with a little lemon juice, ginger, cinnamon, and maybe a few other spices that I just didn't pick up on. I don't know how well this version would store. We had it fresh with pound cake.

 

[Tutter]

Calee does it the same way that I do. I wait until after frost, then pick the nice, colorful ones. The ones which are drying, I leave.

I also clean them the same way.

When cooking them, you aren't supposed to use aluminum utensils or pots. I don't have aluminum to use, but I thought I'd mention it, in case you do.

Enjoy! :happy_flower