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Rose hips - suggestions

Hello all,

A well established rose bush (well it looks like a tree!) has now got lots of beautiful orangey/red rose hips. I'm just thinking it would be a shame to let these go to waste.  Does anybody have any tips on what I can do with them? Any produce I can make, etc? All tips and suggestions welcome!

Many thanks in advance. :smile:

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138
    edited August 2019
    You can make rosehip syrup and rosehip wine ... but it’s an awful faff getting rid of those little irritating fibres ... I’ve never found it as easy as they make it sound https://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/rosehip-syrup

    Nowadays I just leave them to look beautiful and to feed the birds and field mice in the winter after they’ve been softened by some sharp frosts. 😊 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • I have lots of rose hips myself. I just leave them on my rose bush for the birds for the winter. 
  • Thanks all for your suggestions. Particularly interesting to read about the hedgerow harvest - thanks @pansyface.

    Think I'll attempt to do something with some of them and leave the rest for birds - I must admit the hips do look spectacular on a frosty morning!! 
  • AndyDeanAndyDean Posts: 157
    Rosehip jelly is wonderful stuff, well worth it in my opinion! It's a while since I've made it (small children and a big move), but I had good success boiling, mushing up really well with a hand blender when softish, then (I think) boiling some more before straining the juice out through a muslin bag overnight, then using the juice to make the jelly. I think the more you can mush the fruit, the more juice you'll get.

    Not sure where I got the recipe, but it's something like this one:

    http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/rosehip-and-apple-jelly-recipe-60/
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Rose hip syrup is wonderful stuff. Most recipes involve a huge amount of sugar, though, so if you halve it, it makes a tarter concoction which is good in cocktails. Rose hip gin cocktail is especially good  :)
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    pansyface said:
    Happy memories of school class collection walks in the autumn.

    For me it's happy memories of running after schoolmates and rubbing the seeds down the neck hole of their shirts lol
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
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