I understand these are good for joint pain. Don't know what plant these hips come from or what to do with them. Can I make them into a syrup?
I gather the rosehips that grow on what I assume are dog roses in our hedgerows at the plot. Bright orange little hips full of hairs (apparently can be used as itching powder). I make syrup which is supposed to be amazingly high in vitamin c so long as you don't over cook it.
I googled and got this recipe
Rose Hip Syrup
Crush 2lbs rosehips and put into 3 pints boiling water. Bring back to boil, remove from heat and let stand for 10 mins. Strain through jellybag and when it ceases to drip, return to pan with another 1½ pints boiling water. Re-boil and allow to stand as before, strain. Mix both extracts, pour into a clean pan, reduce by boiling until juice measures 1½ pints. Add 1lb sugar. Stir over gentle heat until sugar dissolves, boil for 5 minutes. Pour into hot bottles, seal.
We made it regularly when the boys were young.
Overcook? Slight error one night - went to bed with the pan on the electric ring.
In the morning, the pan-diameter snake of volcanic ash was feet high & falling back to the ground.
We didnt make it again!!
Rosa rugosa hips (the very thorny roses used for hedging) are huge, and make good syrup - have used the wild dog rose hips too, but they tend to be small and it's a lot of work getting enough to make a decent amount of syrup ! You must have some patience EJ ;D
I believe that any rose hip is suitable as long as it's luscious and ripe. (someone PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong :) )The one thing that can't be over-emphasised is the straining side of the process, you really don't want any of the hairy bits in the syrup at all. I strain it at least twice to make sure.
Whatever I do to it, rosehip syrup tastes exactly like SOAP :'(
HAHAHAHA Super! ;D
I have heard that again they are best after the first frost which softens the pulp and brings our more natural sweetness. I agree with the straining. Slow slow drip drip slow! I have a large bottle in my cupboard and I can see 1 hair. Blooming thing. I was so careful. I am thinking of making a cake when mum is over next month - we are having a family tree week together - and using some syrup to drizzle over it - like lemon drizzle cake, but rosehip drizzle instead. It is lovely warmed when you are feeling a little low on vigour also. :P
A teensy bit off topic, but it reminds me of when I was a child, many moons ago, all the children in the school would go out to pick rose hips which would then be weighed & we would get paid by a company making the syrup for what we had picked!
When i was young i was fed Delrosa Rose Hip syrup (apparantley you can still get this in the states) alongside Virol, so years ago when my girls were little i made some rose hip syrup, it fermented and exploded. shame, it took so much work! Made such a mess!
Hi all. thanks for all that advice. I used to have Delrosa and Virol too, didn't like either!!! I will follow your advice when I have found some that I can nick!!!!!
I spotted some rosehips today, you've inspired me now. I'm going to pick them tomorrow. We've all got colds at the moment so hopefully a little tonic will help. :)
Rosehip wine is excellent as well!
Quote from: cacran on January 18, 2007, 18:57:48
I understand these are good for joint pain. Don't know what plant these hips come from or what to do with them. Can I make them into a syrup?
I remember they were said to be the richest known source of Vitamin C. When my children were small we used to be able to buy bottles of it from the Welfare clinic (anyone remember those?). Nowadays for Vit C I use Kiwis. For arthritic pain...I am still searching. Aspirin would be good but few people can tolerate it and it does cause bleeding. I take large doses of Omega 3 and Evening Primrose oil. I've got a tube of Capsicium cream. It works but it makes you cough and burns like crazy. Pain clinic suggested Magnesium, laser treatment? and acupuncture but only one thing at a time.
Rosehips definitely better for the frost as it helps to release all that lovely vitamin C. If there is no frosts but the hips look like they are going over stick the in the freezer for 3-4 hours the make into sryup. ;)
We have made it for the past 2 years are have had hardly any colds.
Bit concerned that there a hips about now, we always make our sryup about Halloween time, sadly it's all gone now :( Make sure you only pick really firm ones as the soft ones have gone over.
Loved Virol aswell, but I rekon home made rosehip sryup is MUCH better that Delrosa.