Every rose, regardless of whether it is a shrub, climbing, noble, ground cover, hedge or wild rose, produces rose hips from its fertilized flowers. But what characteristics do rose hips have, when do they ripen and what can you do with them?
What is the rosehip and how is it used?
Roses hips are the fruits of rose plants that arise after the flowers are fertilized. They vary in size, shape and color and usually ripen between October and November. Rose hips have a sweet and sour taste and can be used in many ways, e.g. B. for puree, jam, juice, wine, liqueur or tea.
The nuts are the real fruits
The rose hip is a so-called collective fruit. The actual fruits are the small, yellowish-colored nuts that are located under the peel and in the middle of the fruit pulp. They have numerous barb-like bristles and cause itching when they come into contact with the skin.
No uniformity – instead diversity reigns
There is no such thing as THE rose hip. Rose hips vary greatly in shape, size and color. From variety to variety, they can grow between 1 and 5 cm in size, be ovoid to flat-spherical in shape and colored orange to carmine red.
When are the rose hips ripe and ready to harvest?
The rose flowers are replaced by the rose hips. The fewest rose hips ripen in September. They usually reach maturity between October and November.
They can - if they have not been eaten before - be harvested throughout the autumn and into the spring of the following year. Over this time they slowly dry out on the bush.
The taste of rose hips
Rosehips taste best after frost has hit them. Then they are sweet and sour, spicy and soft in consistency. The pulp-like pulp and peel are edible. The nuts it contains are hard and should not be consumed in large quantities. In general, the later the rose hips are harvested, the sweeter they are.
Versatile uses
Oil can be extracted from the nuts. They can also be used to propagate the plant. The rose hips themselves can be used as bird food, eaten raw or processed further. For example, the following treats can be created from them:
- Mus
- Jam
- Juice
- Wine
- Liqueur
- Tea
Tips & Tricks
As soon as the red skin of the rose hip is glassy and gives when pressed with your finger, it is the best time to eat these fruits raw. From the bush to the mouth: carefully squeeze out the pulp at the end of the stem so that the nuts remain in the shell and enjoy.
