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Picking & Drying Rose Hips for Tea
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September 6, 2018 · 33 Comments

Picking & Drying Rose Hips for Tea

Foraging· Preserving

How to dry and use rose hips for tea. Tips on picking rose hips, three ways to dry them, and instructions on how to brew them in a tea pot

It’s that time of year again and the hedgerows are heaving with fruit. With most people intent on collecting juicy blackberries, the bright red but rock hard rose hip is often overlooked. Rose hips are the fruit of the rose bush and in the summer are found as a swollen green part of the stem just underneath the flower. In autumn they swell into a beautiful red ‘hip’ that look stunning on the bush or are delicious dried and made into tea.

Every rose left uncut will eventually produce a hip but some will appear in the summer and others later in the autumn depending on species. To my knowledge all rose hips are edible, though some varieties have better flavour than others.

How to forage and prepare Rose-hips for making homemade tea. The flavor is rich and fruity and it's also packed with Vitamin C!

Dog Rose (Rosa Canina) and hips from the same species

Rose-hip tea is rich in natural Vitamin C

Blessed with a delicate fruity taste and rich in vitamins A, B and C, Rose-hips can be used to make all kind of things. Jellies, syrups, teas, wine and even cosmetics. Both the fruit and the seeds are edible but you shouldn’t eat rose hips whole because they have irritating hairs inside. Don’t worry though, you can filter them out either before or after the drying process.

How to forage and prepare Rose-hips for making homemade tea. The flavor is rich and fruity and it's also packed with Vitamin C

The best hips for eating are the ones produced by the common wild rose, also known as the Dog Rose (Rosa canina). They’re firm, deep red hips that are rich in flavour and easy to find and harvest. They’re ready in autumn but it’s said the best time to harvest them is directly after a frost. Try to pick ones that are firm and vibrantly coloured. If you find any that are going soft or that have dark spots on them, pass them by.

You can dry smaller hips whole but the larger ones have a lot of hairs inside.  The Japanese rose (Rosa rugosa) is another common rose that produces edible and gigantic hips. Literally four or five times the size of a dog rose hip. You can often find them growing in municipal plantings here on the Isle of Man. I like to err on the cautious side and try to remove as much from inside these hips as possible before drying them.

How to forage and prepare Rose-hips for making homemade tea. The flavor is rich and fruity and it's also packed with Vitamin C!

Japanese Rose (Rosa Rugosa) and hips from the same species

Drying Rose-hips for Tea

Rinse the hips in water and allow to dry. Next, if you’re using Rosa Rugosa hips, cut them open and remove as many of the seeds as possible. If you’ve picked the smaller Rosa Canina (Dog Rose) hips, then just snip the top and bottom of the hip off and leave it fairly intact. They’re much smaller so will dry easier than the larger Rugosas.

Place the hips in the oven at a low heat for about three and a half hours until they’re bone dry. Or see below for food dehydrator drying.

How to forage and prepare Rose-hips for making homemade tea. The flavor is rich and fruity and it's also packed with Vitamin C

Preparing the rose-hips by cutting them open and removing the seeds

Allow the hips to cool completely then place them in a paper bag to dry out for another week or so. When you’re sure that the pieces are bone-dry, run them through a food processor until they’re roughly chopped. Pour it all into a sieve and shake the ‘itching powder’ out and onto newspaper or into a bag. You’ll be amazed at how easy they filter through the mesh.

Store your tea in an air-tight container in a dark and cool place. The tea is best used within a year but can last longer depending on storage methods.

Learn how to wildcraft and identify plants confidently in the Botany & Wildcrafting Course!

Food Dehydrator Method

Drying rose hips in a food dehydrator is far easier and uses less energy than an oven. Pick your rose-hips, rinse them with cool water, and allow to dry. Prepare as described in step one above and then place them in a thin layer on the racks of your food dehydrator. Allow your dehydrator to dry them until they are bone-dry. Cool and store as described above.

How to forage and prepare Rose-hips for making homemade tea. The flavor is rich and fruity and it's also packed with Vitamin C

When completely dry, rose hips are dark in colour and very hard

Air drying Rose Hips

There are two ways of air-drying rose hips. If the weather is warm and dry you can first clean the hips and spread them on waxed paper or screens. The sun can dry smaller hips or pieces of hips in as little as a day. If they’re not completely dry, take the hips inside overnight and put them out again the next day. If you have a greenhouse or polytunnel you can dry them inside and leave them in overnight.

You can also dry rose hips inside. It can take around a month but it’s a good option if you’re pinched for outdoor space or the weather isn’t great.  Clean and spread them on screens or wax paper lined trays and set them someplace dry and well ventilated. When they’re completely dry you can store them in jars.

Making Rose Hip Tea

Measure out 1 teaspoon of dried rose hips for each cup of tea you’re going to make. Pour scalding water over the hips and leave to infuse for about five minutes. Remove the tea leaf holder from your tea pot and discard the contents. Yes, you can compost the wet hips. Serve the tea immediately and add a little honey or stevia to sweeten it.

How to forage and prepare Rose hips for making homemade tea. The flavor is rich and fruity and it's also packed with Vitamin C!

Rose hip tea is fruity and delicious

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cheryl Phillips says

    September 4, 2019 at 6:13 pm

    If they are the smaller rose hips do i need to get the seeds out before I dry them. I have the wild roses

    Reply
  2. iris says

    February 10, 2019 at 7:34 pm

    so youve taken out the seeds, can you plant with them?

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      February 11, 2019 at 8:10 pm

      Sure, why not? 🙂

      Reply
  3. Nata says

    October 6, 2018 at 6:04 pm

    I’ve read heat such as hot water will kill most of the vitamin C in Rosehip, is that correct? However most recipes require hot water for dried rosehip which is all i can find in the city. is there another recipe that won’t destroy the vitamin C in rosehip?

    Thx

    Reply
  4. John says

    September 7, 2017 at 3:36 am

    Even though the concept of vitamins weren’t known at the time, Michel de Nostradamus treated his plague patients with rose hips with decent success. Even though Yersinia Pestis is far tougher than the common cold, I wonder if the increase of Vitamin C in a diet devoid of these vitamins and minerals built a much stronger immune system and helped prevent and/or assist in the recovery from the plague.

    I think Nostradamus had celestial connections!

    Reply
  5. Pamela says

    December 5, 2016 at 3:25 pm

    If you pull off the rose hips , will you kill your chance for flowers next year?

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      December 6, 2016 at 10:42 am

      Nope 🙂 They’re just seed heads and the bush will produce new flower buds every year.

      Reply
  6. Gordon says

    October 1, 2016 at 2:03 pm

    In the spring I pecked the flowers of the Rosa Multiflora bush (invasive species in Connecticut). Dried them and use them for tea. Has anybody tried that? Not sure what it is good for, but tastes good and it is very fragrant.

    Reply
  7. Mel says

    September 7, 2016 at 6:56 pm

    Hi there! When harvesting rose hips for topical use, is it best to wait until after the first frost? Would it affect the beneficial properties if you harvest them earlier?

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      September 8, 2016 at 3:23 pm

      It’s probable that the beneficial properties are better before the first frost Mel. Afterwards they can be sweeter and more fruity but they also run the chance of spoiling. Not a scientific explanation at all but just my gut feeling.

      Reply
      • Angela says

        September 12, 2018 at 4:49 am

        I live in Mississippi, I have one variety of wild roses whos hips are turning now, if I dont get them as soon as they turn, they will never make it to see a frost, which we may not get here until early November, so I think it depends on where you live and your climate, when the best time to harvest them is. I have other roses that are just now forming green hips and they wont be ready until late october or later.

        Reply
  8. Teresa says

    September 9, 2014 at 6:51 pm

    I have several varieties of roses growing in my garden. Can the hips from floribundas, tea roses, English roses be used?

    Reply
    • Tanya from Lovely Greens says

      September 10, 2014 at 8:55 am

      Absolutely! To my knowledge, all rose hips are edible but it's said that hips from wild roses are more flavourful.

      Reply
  9. Amanda Love says

    November 4, 2013 at 11:55 pm

    I heard that in the wars the mothers would make a cough syrup with rose hips.

    Reply
    • Tanya @ Lovely Greens says

      November 10, 2013 at 9:22 am

      You heard right Amanda…rose-hips were, and still are, an important source of Vitamin C. I understand that it was used as a cough syrup but also as a day-to-day supplement.

      Reply
  10. Farmer Liz says

    September 8, 2013 at 8:01 am

    Wonderful Tanya, I hope I can grow these soon, I love how you've described all the different uses and how to prepare the hips 🙂

    Reply
    • Tanya @ Lovely Greens says

      September 11, 2013 at 6:50 am

      Thanks Liz 🙂 You can use hips from wild roses but I wonder if cultivated roses might also be good? Might be interesting to look into…

      Reply
  11. Sarina McEwan-Bell says

    November 8, 2012 at 9:24 am

    My grandmother swore by Rosehip syrup. It was given to us as children during the winter months. "A tablespoon a day will keep the doctor away", she would tell us. It certainly helped, and we kids loved the tasty syrup.

    Reply
    • Tanya @ Lovely Greens says

      September 11, 2013 at 6:48 am

      It's loaded with Vitamin C so your grandmother was right 🙂

      Reply
  12. Tanya @ Lovely Greens says

    September 30, 2011 at 7:43 am

    You'll be getting a bar, Faye 🙂

    Reply
  13. Isle of Man Potter says

    September 29, 2011 at 9:26 pm

    That soap looks delicious!

    Reply
  14. Tanya @ Lovely Greens says

    September 28, 2011 at 4:38 pm

    And I believe it! They're loaded with vitamin C.

    Reply
  15. i doodle garden says

    September 28, 2011 at 9:38 am

    I have a friend who dries the rosehips, sieves off the hairs, and takes them out in his pocket wherever he goes… he swears they get him through the winter without a cold

    Reply
  16. Tanya @ Lovely Greens says

    September 21, 2011 at 10:44 am

    And it's SOOO good…both tasting and healthwise!

    Reply
  17. Shaheen says

    September 21, 2011 at 10:29 am

    What a beautiful pot of tea.

    I made some rosehip jelly last year. this year I am looking forward to making other rosehip edibles.

    Reply
  18. Tanya @ Lovely Greens says

    September 21, 2011 at 9:54 am

    …and Gentlemen 🙂

    Reply
  19. Tanya @ Lovely Greens says

    September 21, 2011 at 9:53 am

    Have fun collecting rose-hips ladies 🙂

    Reply
  20. Sensory Dragon says

    September 21, 2011 at 7:53 am

    Hi Tanya; thanks for the tea tip and I'll let you know how I get on…fingers crossed!

    Reply
  21. Dani says

    September 21, 2011 at 5:01 am

    Cool Tanya – very interesting. Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  22. Patrick's Garden says

    September 20, 2011 at 11:20 pm

    I've always been a huge fan of rose hips in the garden. Some of the best can see a bush covered in orange.

    I enjoyed your post even though I can't replicate it, it was just fun to see how you used them.

    Reply
  23. Lrong says

    September 20, 2011 at 8:58 pm

    We have wild roses here that give rather small rose hips… shall try to harvest them for tea… thanks for the good information and pretty pics…

    Reply
  24. Tanya @ Lovely Greens says

    September 20, 2011 at 6:38 pm

    The hairs are the worst part of them…in fact my chest is a bit itchy right now from handling the seeds and then touching my skin accidentally. Not very nice! But if you're making tea it's not a big deal if you don't get all the hairs out. After you dry the hips, pulse them very roughly and not too small. Then dump the lot into a fine-mesh strainer and toss it around gently. A fine powder and most of the hairs will come out then – discard it carefully. After that, pulse the hips a bit more so that the pieces are about the size of coarse sea salt and store. When you make tea with it just make sure to use a tea sock – any remaining hairs will get trapped inside. How much you collect depends on you. I'd say that after drying you'll have about 1/4 the amount you began with when it was fresh. But two sandwich bags full will give you enough to cover a large baking tray. Hope this helps 🙂

    Reply
  25. Sensory Dragon says

    September 20, 2011 at 6:26 pm

    Hi, I've spotted some in the hedgerow at work and would love to try some as a tea. How difficult is it to get rid of the hairs inside? How would I go about making the tea? How much should I collect? sorry, lots of questions but I've never foraged for rose hips before!

    Reply

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Tanya Anderson Lovely Greens Welcome to Lovely Greens. I'm Tanya and I share ideas on growing organic herbs, vegetables, and fruit and then creatively using them in the home, beauty, and kitchen. Learn more about Lovely Greens

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A Woman’s Garden, a new book from Tanya Anderson of Lovely Greens, covers eight categories of useful plants, over thirty-five plant-based projects and recipes, and features women gardeners from around the world
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