Rose Hips
In late autumn to winter you can find wild rose
hips. Every rose plant makes rose fruits
to hold its seeds in round to oblong berries varying in size from the wild dog
rose whose fruit are about the size of a pea, to the Rosa
rugusa rose that has been cultivated through time into large berries. I have seen have seen some as big, well almost
as big as a golf ball! Decades past, a
wildcrafter of many years told me to always wait until after the first frost to
pick my rose hips because the frost somehow transformed them, and according to
him, made them better. He also told me
to be sure to never pick hips growing in a spray zone.
Depending on where you live, Rose hips are
known by many names. Some of the more
common ones are Apothecary Rose, Dog Rose, Rose Hips, Hip Fruit, Hipberry, Pink
Rose, Rosa canina (Dog Rose), Rosa
rugosa and Wild Boar Fruit.
Many products are made from rose hips and their
seeds, including teas, jellies, jam and tarts, even in soups; and in some
instances used as Vitamin C for nutritional supplements. In former times, according to A Modern Herbal the hips were an
esteemed fruit. Rose hips also contain
A, D and E, Carotene, lycopene, iron and antioxidant flavonoids. The highest vitamin content is found in the
fresh hips with preserved berries having reduced levels and cooked ones, even
less.
Since heat destroys vitamins in fruits and
vegetables, the question asked is; is any vitamin C left in foods containing
processed rose hips? Yes, because
Vitamin C from the hips leeches into the simmering water and then the berries
are strained. As reported in the Turkish
Journal of Botany, 21, (1997), 323-327, most recipes for Rose Hip syrups and
jellies, boil the fruit for 15 to 20 minutes. Thus, it is found that a great
deal of the vitamin C remains in the liquid and is available to the body.
Rose Hips have a long association with the human story and
you can find many herbal and plant publications containing detailed
information. For instance, you may have
learned in History class that Scandinavian and British governments encouraged
the gathering and use of Rose Hip as a readily accessible source of Vitamin C
during World War II as a substitution for oranges. When things get scarce people look carefully
at, and with greater appreciation, traditional uses of naturally available
resources.
Rose hips have been used traditionally in the treatment of stomach
disorders and as a general tonic; they has also been used in the treatment of
ailments such as constipation, diarrhea, gallbladder problems, some urinary
tract and kidney disorders; for sciatica, gout, pains in the legs and
back. Some modern physicians also use it
to support the health of persons with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, weight
problems, diabetes, colds and related fever and in the treatment of some types
of Arthritis and connective tissue problems.
If you are interested in more information visit your
library, they probably have a great selection of herbals and of course you can
do a web search and have possibly millions of pages to examine.
All that said I hope you will enjoy some Quilter’s Comfort
Certified Organic Rose Hip Jelly. It is made
in small batches just like all my other products, and some tasters say that it
has a taste reminiscent of cherries! You
will have to decide on the taste for your self! I will also have coffee jam and Elderberry Rose Mint jelly.
Until next time,
Abundance of great food!
