Recipes with Rosehips

Roses are beautiful flowers. Not only can you enjoy the loveliness and fragrance—and even the taste if you add the petals to your salad—but after the flowering, you can reap the benefits of what remains: the rosehips. 

The rosehips from any rose can be used. They were and are an important food for all Native tribes. Harvest the fruits after the first frost when they become fully red-colored, but not overripe. They should yield to gentle pressure but not be soft or wrinkly. 

Tasty Rosehip Tea

In a saucepan, put about 2 tablespoons of rosehips per pint of water.
Boil, covered, for about 10–15 minutes. 
You’ll see the hips expand and split apart so that goodness can be extracted from the entire pod. Sometimes the tea is even pink, depending on the rose.
The tea will be slightly acidic. Sweeten if needed, or add a little dried mint. 

Rosehip "Vegetable" Dish  

After making your tea, you can eat the leftover rosehips like a vegetable, with salt and butter. This great idea is from Paula Giese at www.kstrom.net/isk/food/wildrose.html.

Delicious Rosehip Syrup
from Cooking Alaskan by Alaskans (1983)

Boil 4 cups rosehips and 2 cups water for 20 minutes. Strain.
Stir in 1 cup sugar.
Boil for 5 more minutes, then refrigerate. 
Use this syrup on pancakes or ice cream. What a way to get your vitamin C!

Just the beginning!
You can google for other recipes for all kinds of tasty nutritious treats, from candy to jelly and even crumble cake.