Roaming Roots

ROSE HIP, ROSE HAW, ROSE HEP

Our trip has been loosely planned and suddenly took a detour into Kentucky when we found a great deal on a used Class A Motorhome we wanted to upgrade into.

The animals LOVE the new rig!

Kentucky is beautiful. In particular, the Bluegrass region is characterised by lovely rolling green hills and horse farms.

ROSEHIPS

The rosehip is the accessory fruit of the various species of rose plant.

• Accessory fruits (sometimes called false fruits) are not derived from the ovary, but from another part of the flower.

Like most fruit, rosehips begin to develop after the pollination of flowers, and then ripen in late summer through autumn.

The rosehips we collected were from a rambler rose, or Rosa multiflora.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Rosa multiflora is a thorny, multi-stemmed, perennial deciduous shrub or climbing vine with arching stems. Stems are green to reddish, usually with curved thorns.

Leaves are pinnately compound and alternately arranged with each elliptical leaflet having serrated margins. At the base of each leaf stalk is a delicately fringed stipule. This characteristic is a quick way to distinguish multiflora rose from other species.

In the spring, white to pink flowers bloom in showy, fragrant clusters. Rosehips are small, orange to red and smooth and turn leathery with age.

Originally from Japan, Korea and eastern China, this rose species is highly invasive throughout much of the United States, crowding out native plants.

TRADITIONAL USES AND HERBAL BENEFITS

Research into rosehips from Rosa multiflora has focused on its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Nevertheless, in general, all species of rosehips are high in vitamin C.

Rosehips are used in bread, pies, jam, jelly, syrup, tea, wine and other beverages.

Each hip contains several rose seeds, along with hundreds of little fuzzy hairs (one of the original ingredients in itching powder). If using rosehips to make a tea, these hairs do not present a problem.

However, if you plan on ingesting rosehips, it strongly recommended to remove these hairs, as they can cause irritation to the entire gastrointestinal system. This can be a tedious process that I can personally attest to. Therefore, for this recipe I wanted to keep the hips whole.

RECIPE

In Sweden, a traditional chilled rosehip soup called nyponsoppa is popular for breakfast or dessert.

I wanted something more substantial so decided to create a vibrant chia seed pudding with a whole rosehip hibiscus tea sweetened with honey.

ROSEHIP HIBISCUS CHIA SEED PUDDING

• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp rosehips
• 2 Tbsp of dried hibiscus tea
• Honey to taste
• 3 Tbsp chia seeds

Bring water to a boil. Add rosehips and hibiscus.

Stir and remove from heat, cover and let steep 15 minutes. Add honey to taste.

Add chia seeds and chill overnight.

Top with whipped cream and/or fruit. So good!

References

Ellen. (2016, August 15). Rose hips: When, how, and why to harvest. Backyard forager. https://backyardforager.com/rose-hips-harvest-process/

King County, Washington. (2018, September 18). Multiflora rose identification and control. https://kingcounty.gov/services/environment/animals-and-plants/noxious-weeds/weed-identification/multiflora-rose.aspx

Mármol, I., Sánchez-de-Diego, C., Jiménez-Moreno, N., Ancín-Azpilicueta, C. & Rodríguez-Yoldi, M.J. (2017). Therapeutic applications of rose hips from different Rosa species. International Journal of Molecular Sciences,18(6), 1137. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18061137

Rose hip. (2022, 28 July). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_hip