In early summer the wild rose still shone and smelled with its delicate flowers. Now it is late summer and the rose hip fruits are ripening. They can stay on the plant until deep into winter.
What are rose hips and what can they be used for?
Rosehips are the coral-red, smooth-skinned collected fruits of wild rose species that hang on green stems and ripen from late summer to winter. They are edible, tasty, he althy and rich in vitamin C - ideal for rosehip tea, jam or as decoration and bird food in autumn and winter.
What do the rosehip fruits look like?
The rose hips are so-called collective fruits, similar to strawberries. They look different depending on the species. But the rose hips of all wild rose species combine these characteristics:
- coral red
- smooth-shelled
- hanging on green stems
- old sepals of the flowers are often still attached
The rose hips can be round, elongated-narrow, egg-shaped or, like the potato rose, round and flattened. They grow between 1.5 and 2.5 cm long. Under the shell lies a red fruit pulp in which numerous white-yellow nuts are embedded.
Edible, tasty and he althy
If you like rosehip tea from a tea bag, you will love rosehip tea made from fresh rosehips! The fruits can be easily collected and made into tea. They can be used both fresh and dried. All you have to do is cut the fruit in half and pour it into a teapot with hot water. Let it steep and enjoy. The tea has, among other things, diuretic and laxative effects.
You can also use the rose hips to make jam. To do this, however, the nuts it contains should be scratched out. The fruits are then boiled down and, if necessary, sweetened in addition to their pleasant natural sweetness.
Rose hips also taste very tasty on their own. The later they are picked, the sweeter they are. However, for pure, raw consumption they should be soft and glassy. The red fruit pulp, which has usually become soft due to frost, is squeezed out at the end of the stem with your thumb and forefinger. Try it!
As decoration and bird food
These fruits, which are extremely rich in vitamin C, are popular with animals. Birds and other small animals appreciate this source of food in winter. They like to sit happily in the hedge and feast on the rose hips. The fruits can also be used as a decoration in autumn. To do this, simply cut off a fruit-bearing branch and place it in a vase.
Tip
The entire plant is often referred to as a rose hip. This includes all wild rose species.