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Roses are prized for their beauty, but have long been valued for flavoring foods, scenting perfumes, creating skin care products and of course Vitamin C.
Use rose hips raw, dried or cooked in baked goods, jellies and jams, soup and tea.
Harvest the fruit from plants that have not been treated with pesticides. Pick hips when they are firm, brightly colored and with smooth skin. Overripe fruit becomes mealy, losing its flavor and more likely to spoil.
Process the fruit as soon as possible to preserve the flavor and nutrients. Rinse off any dust, bugs and debris. Then trim off the dried blossoms and stem ends. Removing the seeds at some point in the preservation process will reduce the risk of intestinal irritation that hairs and seeds can cause. Dry the hips and store in a cool dark location or process into pulp or juice.
A bit more information: Heirloom and wild roses tend to form more and larger rose hips than modern roses. Stop harvesting and deadheading repeat blooming roses in late summer to allow hips to form.
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