I picked rose hips in Maine when we lived on the east coast and made rose hip jelly.
It was great, and then since I haven't had rose bushes that produce rose hips. So the other day my daughter said "mom, I think I have rose hips on my rose bushes you need to come see" and walla it turns out she does have and so I will be making Rose Hip Jelly once again this year. I'm so happy
Do you know what rose hips are? well here is some information and pictures too
Preparing rosehips
1
These are yet to be trimmed, both ends need cutting off to remove stems and petal ends.
Cut the rosehips in half and remove the seeds. This is easiest done with a sharp knife and a small spoon. As this is a more time consuming task, it's good for small quantities, such as if you only have one or two rosebushes.
Rosehip jam
1 Measure the weight of the prepared hips and add about half the amount of weight in water. For 450g (15.8 oz) of hips, 250ml (8.4 fl. oz) of water is a close approximate guide.
2 Simmer the hips and water together until soft. This will take about 15-20 minutes; it takes less time if they're covered with a lid. Puree the hips or push them through a sieve or mouli to pulp them. Measure the pulp's weight.
3 Add equal weight of sugar to the pulp. Bring to a boil. Test the readiness by placing a sample on a cold plate to see if it gels. If it does, then it is ready for storing in hot, sterilised jars. If it does not gel, boil rapidly for another minute and test again.
4
Spread straight onto toast.
Rosehip jam can be stirred into muffins and biscuits or cookies.
Stir into meats. Rosehip jam has an interesting flavour that works well with chicken, pork, or other white meats such as turkey. It can be blended with a little mustard for an interesting sweet and sour sauce, or with BBQ sauce and soy sauce (to taste) for a flavour similar to Hoisin sauce.
Rosehip jam tart
1 Use frozen pie base, or make your own short crust pastry. Preheat your oven to 180ºC / 350ºF in advance. Use a standard pie plate at least 15cm (5.9") in diameter, but a 20cm (7.8") pie plate is recommended. It's a very flexible recipe, so you can make it in a variety of sizes.
2 For a tart to serve 4, you will need:
1 cup of the above rosehip jam
Strained juice of one lemon (about 50ml / 1.69 fl oz)
10g (0.35 oz) of melted butter
Cinnamon to taste (one or two small pinches)
Dried ginger (either 1 teaspoon chopped candied ginger or approx 1/4 teaspoon of powdered)
1/2 cup of ground almond meal.
3 Combine the jam and lemon juice, beating well to soften the jam. Add the spices and melted butter and stir through. Add the ground almonds last, stir well and pour into the pie case.
4
This tart has latticework on top for a special touch Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm with cream or vanilla ice cream.
Stewed fruits with rosehips
1 Place 125g (4.4 oz) of hips with the same volume of water and 50g (1.7 oz) of sugar or honey to taste. Simmer 10 minutes.
2 Add other sliced fruits such as 1 apple, 2 stems of red rhubarb, or 1 pear or 1 peach - you can use them all or mix and match.
3 Add water to just cover the fruits. Taste syrup for flavouring and add more sugar if desired, or lemon juice if you prefer a sour flavour.
4
Simmer 10-15 minutes more. Simmer 10-15 minutes more. The hips will just start to break down, but the other fruits should still remain intact.
5 Serve with oatmeal, custard, a slice of vanilla cake, or ice cream.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yzftj3kJkd0#t=174
This video shows how to pick the rosehips and provides a wealth of information on the benefits of rosehips.
Tips
Don't harvest your rose hips too soon; the first week of frost can actually improve their flavour.
This old fashioned ingredient has an acquired taste but does blend well with other flavours. It's good for adventurous cooks and food historians, and as the yield of hips per bush is not huge, it means that making small batches is more feasible as a little can go a long way.
Most rosehips are suitable for use but the more commonly used ones include the wild dog-rose (often growing on hedgerows) and the hips from Rosa rugosa.[4] Always verify that the hips are pesticide free before using, and always wash well.
Rosehip tea is a great source of vitamin C and can help you to ward off a cold or to get through it a little more easily.[5]
Note that both spellings "rosehip" and "rose hip" are accurate.[6]
(NaturalNews) Rose hips are the small, colorful bulbs that stay behind when a rose dies. They are roughly the same size as berries and vary in color from orange to red. Oftentimes overlooked because gardeners trim the dead flowers before the rose hips can form, rose hips are a great source of Vitamin C and can be harvested and prepared as a natural way to boost intake of this important vitamin.
With a sweet tartness, rose hips are part of the apple and crabapple families. Almost all roses create rose hips, as they are the natural product of a dead flower, but the ones that are said by many to be the best tasting are rugosa roses. In addition to tasting the best, these roses also produce the largest and most numerous hips.
Harvesting rose hips is very straightforward. They should always be removed from the stem of the rose plant after the first frost, when they are the sweetest. At the time of harvest, hips should be firm with a little give in texture and bright red or orange in color. If any of the hips on the plant are shriveled or are not the right color, do not collect them; they will not go to waste, as they will provide a great treat for the birds, rabbits, squirrels, and deer in the area.
Preparing rose hips is also simple; however, make sure that they are prepared as quickly as possible after being harvested, as waiting to do so will compromise a lot of their nutritional value. Once they have been collected from the rose plant they can be used whole, but they have seeds inside of them that have a hairy surface and can cause irritation if eaten. If the rose hips are to be incorporated into anything other than a jam, it is recommended that the insides of the hips are removed before further preparations are conducted. To remove the seeds, trim the ends of the hips and then cut them in half using scissors (the hips will be too small to accurately trim and slice with a knife). Then remove seeds, rinse the hips in cold water, and drain them thoroughly.
After the rose hips have been drained, they should air dry to remove any additional exterior moisture. Once the rose hips are trimmed and ready for use, they can either be prepared fresh or dried. To dry them, lay them out evenly with a lot of space between them. Place them in a dark, dry, and warm location until they shrivel up, much like a raisin. Once dry, rose hips can be refrigerated or frozen.
Rose hips are great to use in jellies, sauces, soups, seasonings, or tea. If the recipe in use calls for them to be cooked, do not use aluminum pots, pans, or utensils, as it will deplete the vitamin C levels and alter the color of the rose hips.
Vitamin C is an important part of a balanced diet, and rose hips are a wonderful source of Vitamin C. Anyone looking for a natural, delicious, and easy to prepare source of this important vitamin will benefit from harvesting his/her own rose hips and from the beautiful roses that will grow in the process!
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033673_rose_hips_health_benefits.html##ixzz2hfoGodx3
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