Why would you want to eat Rose Hips?
Because they are chalk tasty, full of natural Vitamin C, & they offer many holistic health benefits!
So what are Rose Hips & where do I get them?
If you’ve ever noticed pump, red and shiny orbs growing on rose bushes in fall, then you have seen rose hips! They are the fruit of the rose plant, and are edible – though watch out for pesticide use before consuming.
These fruits range in size, like roses do, from small and thin to large and fat. Some have ample sweet flesh while other have very little flesh and are mostly tart. A fresh, fat rose hip is a real treat!
Where do the grow? Anywhere where there are cultivated or wild roses – so mostly gardens and in the forest understory. They ripen up starting late Summer and are ready to harvest in Fall or sometimes early Winter. You want to be careful of the seeds because they have itchy hairs that are not pleasant to eat.
While fresh hips are a treat, dried hips are much more accessible and fairly easy and affordable to purchase. I highly recommend getting de-seeded hips because it’s quite the process to separate them out yourself.
Did you know? Many edible fruits and berries belong to the Rose family, such as Apples, Peaches and Raspberries!
Rose hips as a Medicinal Herb & Food-as-Medicine Plant
Besides being very high in Vitamin C, rose hips also contain flavonoids, antioxidants, quercetin, pectin and more. This combination is beneficial for general and systemic inflammation and support healthy immune function.
There are too many health benefits to squeeze into one article, so check out this study entitled “Assessment of rosehips based on the content of their biologically active compounds” to learn more and how exactly these compounds benefit us via www.Sciencedirect.com
The various anti-inflammatory compounds can be useful in many inflammatory and autoimmune issues, such as arthritis, allergies and IBS.
The pectin is especially soothing to the digestive tract, and can help bulk up and moisten the contents in our bowels (such as with constipation).
“Rose hips contain a large range of important dietary antioxidants. The high antioxidant activity is mainly attributed to ascorbic acid that typically ranges from 3 g/kg to 40 g/kg [5], which is fairly more than any other commonly available fruits or vegetables” – Sciencedirect.com
Incorporating wild and nutrient dense food into our diets is an excellent way to add variety and to “let food be thy medicine” as ancient Greek physician Hippocrates proclaimed.
OK So how do I prepare them?
RECIPE TIME!
Rose Hip Apple Sauce The Super Simple Healthy Snack! 1/2 cup (or 1 part) Dried & Deseeded Rosehips 1 cup (or 2 parts) Apple Juice (preferably Organic and 100% juice)*
Add to a clean jar, combine by stirring and put a lid on. You want there to be room at the top of the jar so that the hips can expand. Put a label on your jar and refrigerate. The next day, or 24 hours later, check the consistency. Viola!
You can add more hips or juice to thin out or thicken up your sauce. The hips should be soft and the texture similar to apple sauce. You can use powdered Rose hips for a smoother texture, just make sure to break up any clumps.
Enjoy as a jelly, as a desert topping or straight out of the jar!
*Looking for a low or sugar free option? You can either use a juice with less sugar, cut the juice with water and/or substitute Stevia (a sweet and no-sugar herb). Since Stevia is so sweet, I suggest a ready-to-go product over the raw powder which varies quite a bit but be aware of fillers.
Bonus: More scientific studies on the anti-inflammatory benefits of Rosehips HERE
And last but not least, I’ve been asked a lot recently about herbs in addition to Vitamin C rich Rose hips to help support our immune system. Thankfully, there are many herbal allies that may help. Check out this quick read on immune boosting herbs!
– Stay Green!
By Herbalist Tania Oceana
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More on Roses! Rose Hip Seed Oil for Beauty
Check out our SOFT Skin Serum featuring Rose Oil for healthy and beautiful skin!
ALSO CHECK OUT:
The Natural Approach to Beautiful Skin | CLEAR SKIN ACADEMY NOW OPEN!
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