Rosehips

[chickenofthewoods]

Tell you what Earthpeace, I'll give it a go.

Are they big and round, orange thro' to deep scarlet & like cherry tomato sized ones you're talking about Wanderinstar? Could be these?

They are the hips of Rosa Rugosa. Usually a garden plant used for hedging or in municiple settings (like car parks - or perimeter hedges, they'e very thorny).

If they're more like these:

Long and oval shaped, again anything from orange through to scarlet, then they're most likley Rosa Canina, the Dog Rose. Common in hedgerows, the hips can vary wildly in size.

I usually go for the biggest I can find, because I do like to do the top and tail seed removal thing that amuses Earthpeace so much!

Call me masochistic..... (it's tedious) actually, no - I tend distribute the saved seed in local hedgerows whence they came, so call it putting something back

 

[Montivagus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/food/recipe93.shtml

http://www.vegsoc.org/cordonvert/recipes/wildfood6.html

http://www.gardenworld.co.uk/project.asp

Syrup, soup & chutney The hips are also used for wine and mead

There are lots of recommendations to wait until the haws are frosted but I don't like them squishy and they go mouldy too quickly then too.

atb,
Toddy

The first and second frosts of autumn stimulate them to sugar up so I guess that’s where the recommendations come from. They do go down hill from there though, so pick and use them quick. If you pick them before put them in and out of the fridge and freezer alternately for a few hours (or if you can’t supervise them leave them in a cold fridge overnight), being careful not to actually freeze them, then leave them in the sun for a day and then use them quick. Yum Yum!

 

[Toddy]

Want are you all on about top and tailing, and pulling out the seeds/hairs?
I been drinking rose hip tea for years. All I do is....Get the fresh wild rose hip put it through the mincer whole. ( you have to put in a few at a time, its hard work for the mincer) Then I dry the minced rose hips on trays covered in muslin, in my dehydrator. To make tea you get 1-2 teaspoons of hips and put in a tea ball put in cup of hot water with a little honey to taste.
I've made rose hip wine too very, very nice the problem it gets drunk too quickly
I used to make syrup but don't like the amount of sugar that go's in, the tea far healthier.
P.S the seeds once left in hot water a while taste nice and nutty.

To many people the little hairs are gut irritants. I have rinsed and dried off and then sort of roasted the seeds ( tossed over flames on a shallow metal pot lid) before now to burn off the hairs. The seeds made a nice munchie when I was done.

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[useless]

Wow! A lot of very complicated processes!

I have been picking these since before my interest in bushcraft. Simply pick a handfull as you walk to the shop on a Sunday morning for your papers. When you get home, top and tail, then boil them. Then mass 'em, then put it all through a tea strainer. THen boil up what remains, strain it, and drink that too!

A fantastic Autumn / Winter tea. Refreshing, thick, and a world apart from the sort you get in packs of hippy tea bags.

I'm sure that, with a little vodka it could be quite an outstanding drink!