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Rosehips or rose hips are the fruits of various species of wild, domesticated and ornamental roses. In the UK, these fruits are traditionally used in jams, jellies and marmalades, but are also made into syrups, cordials and herbal teas.
In other parts of Europe, they're also used to make hedgerow wine and mead, and even fruit brandy. In Sweden, rose hip soup is known as nyponsoppa. Rose hips are also the central ingredient of cockta, a fruity non-alcoholic drink from Slovenia.
The vibrant colour and aromatic qualities of rose hips means they are also used in handicrafts and as an ingredient in home fragrances, including scented candles and oils. Their nutritional value has also made them an important traditional remedy. Wild rose hip fruits are particularly rich in vitamin C, and they also contain the carotenoids beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene, as well as essential amino acids. Some studies have even suggested that they can reduce arthritis pain.
Roses are thorny plants with slightly waxy, dark green leaves. Both a wild and domesticated plant, they grow into shrubs or act as climbers which are often tied to wires on walls or over arches. Most wild varieties of rose, including the dog rose, have small, hard fruits that are usually round or torpedo-shaped and red or black in colour. However, the fruits of cultivated rose species can vary as much as the flowers. Some are orange coloured and about the size of a crab apple, while others are much closer to the wild dog rose, with hard, narrow, red hips. The Rosa rugosa or Japanese rose has large thick hips, which resemble a slightly flattened tomato with a darker skin.
Wild roses can be found in hedgerows, amongst woodland fringes and on disused land. Some rose species, such as the burnet rose or Rosa pimpinellifolia are tough enough to thrive in maritime climates. Rosa rugosa is often used in municipal planting schemes, making them a good urban edible. Landscapers prize these hardy plants, as they are very disease-resistant and the thorns act as an impenetrable barrier. As such, you'll typically find them in everything from supermarket and hospital car parks to the flower beds around housing schemes, as well as in municipal parks or on retail estates.
Rose hips begin to form after pollination of flowers in spring or early summer, ripening in late summer through autumn. The scarlet red hips are easy to spot and last until the first hard frosts of winter turn them into mush. The traditional advice is to wait until after the first frost before picking – cold temperatures soften the flesh and concentrate the sugars, improving both flavour and ease of preparation. In practice, mid-September through to November is the sweet spot across most of the UK, though hips at higher altitudes or on more exposed sites will be ready earlier.
Cut a rosehip open and you'll notice its seeds are coated in course, irritant hairs. In days gone by, these hairs were used as itching powder and schoolchildren would use them to play pranks on their classmates. Unlike nettle or insect bites, these hairs are not irritant due to a chemical reaction or histamine response. Instead, they are pointed and stiff and rub much like a woolly jumper on bare skin.
In parts of rural Europe, parents tell their children to suck on rosehips, as this extracts the vitamins without consuming the irritant hairs. In practice the rosehip would need to be in the mouth for some time for this method to be effective. The soft flesh of the large Rosa rugosa hip make a much better snack, as it is possible to nibble some of the thick outer flesh without getting a mouthful of the seeds.
However, to get most out of the rosehip you really do need to deal with those hairs. The simplest way to do this is to simmer the fruits until they are softened, then squeeze them through a fine cloth, such as a jam bag or a piece of muslin. This remaining liquor can be used in sweet or savoury dishes. A few tablespoons will add an extra piquancy and vitamin hit to almost any sauce or soup. Earthy flavours such as beetroot lend themselves particularly well to a little rosehip liquor. To make rosehip syrup, dissolve some sugar in the liquor and use in fruit tarts, pies and puddings.
Fresh rosehips are best used within a few days of picking. Keep them in a cool, dry place or in the fridge in an open container – avoid sealing them in an airtight bag while still fresh, as moisture will cause them to deteriorate quickly.
For longer storage, rosehips dry well. Spread them in a single layer on a baking tray and place in an oven set to its lowest temperature – around 50–60°C – for several hours until completely dried through. Alternatively, a dehydrator set to around 55°C will do the job more reliably. Once dried, store in an airtight jar away from direct light; they'll keep for up to a year and can be used to make tea, ground into powder or rehydrated for cooking.
Freezing is the easiest option if you've picked in quantity. Tip the cleaned hips onto a baking tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Frozen rosehips keep for up to 12 months and have the added benefit that the freeze-thaw cycle mimics the first frost, softening the flesh and making preparation easier when you come to use them.
You can make a tea from fresh or dried rosehips without removing the hairy seeds – the cloth or strainer does the work for you. The taste is very mild, so use a good tablespoon of hips per cup. For extra flavour, add herbs like thyme and rosemary plus a little lemon juice.
Rosehip syrup was produced in huge quantities in Britain during World War II as a substitute for citrus fruits, and for good reason – rosehips contain around 20 times more vitamin C than oranges. It has a distinctive floral, slightly tart flavour that works beautifully drizzled over porridge, pancakes or ice cream, stirred into yoghurt, or used as a cordial diluted with cold or hot water. This is a straightforward recipe: the main thing to get right is the straining, which removes the irritant hairs from the seeds.
This excellent jelly makes use of two abundant autumn ingredients. It will keep through the winter and makes a superb addition to a warming morning porridge or spread on crackers and crispbreads. If you don't have the patience to let the jelly drip out overnight, you can squeeze out the contents of the jam bag/muslin cloth, but this will result in a cloudy rather than clear liquid.
The main picking season runs from mid-September through to November across most of the UK. The traditional rule of thumb is to wait until after the first frost, which softens the flesh and sweetens the flavour – though in practice, hips that have been firm and fully red for a week or two are usually ready to pick regardless. Avoid any that have already turned mushy or shrivelled, and pick before the hard winter frosts arrive and spoil them entirely.
Yes – the hips of all rose species are edible, including wild roses like the dog rose (Rosa canina), Rosa rugosa, the burnet rose and cultivated garden varieties. The flavour and size varies considerably between species: Rosa rugosa hips are large, thick-fleshed and relatively easy to prepare, while dog rose hips are smaller and more fiddly. In all cases, the seeds and their surrounding irritant hairs should be removed or strained out before eating.
Rosehips themselves are not poisonous – quite the opposite, they are highly nutritious and have been eaten by humans for thousands of years. The one caution is the irritant hairs that coat the seeds inside the hip; if consumed in quantity these can cause digestive irritation. This is easily avoided by straining prepared rosehips through muslin or a fine-mesh sieve, which removes the hairs before eating or drinking. Rosehips should not be confused with other red berries in the hedgerow – always make a confident identification before picking.
The list is longer than most people expect. Rosehips are most commonly made into syrup, jelly, jam and tea, but they also work well in cordials, hedgerow wine, fruit vinegars and chutneys. Their liquor adds depth and a vitamin hit to savoury sauces and soups – particularly good with earthy root vegetables. Dried and ground rosehips can be used as a powder stirred into porridge, smoothies or baked goods. In Scandinavian cooking, rosehip soup (nyponsoppa) is a classic use of the fruit, served warm or cold as a dessert.
Start by rinsing the hips and removing the stalks and the dried flower end (the calyx) at the tip. For tea or syrup, the hips can then be lightly crushed or roughly chopped and simmered in water before straining – the straining step is essential to remove the irritant seed hairs. For jelly or jam, simmer until softened and pass through a muslin cloth or jelly bag. If you want to use the flesh more directly – for instance in a soup or chutney – cut the hips in half, scoop out the seeds and hairs with a small spoon, then rinse the flesh well under running water before using.
Yes, and it's one of the best ways to preserve a large harvest. Spread the cleaned hips in a single layer on a tray and freeze until solid, then transfer to a labelled freezer bag. They'll keep for up to 12 months. Freezing also has a practical advantage: the freeze-thaw cycle softens the flesh in the same way a frost does, making the hips easier to work with when you're ready to cook with them. Use straight from frozen in recipes that call for simmering.
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