Rose hips are the fruit of the rose plant that form after the rose bloom has died. They can range in color from red and orange to dark purple. Rose hips have been used for centuries for their high vitamin C content, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. The wild rose species Rosa canina is especially prized for it’s large and nutritious hips.
When harvested and processed correctly, rose hips can be made into syrups, teas, jams, jellies and more. Their tart, floral flavor is versatile for both sweet and savory applications. Learning how to properly harvest your own rose hips can be a fun DIY project that keeps their nutrients intact.
When to Harvest Rose Hips
Timing is everything when it comes to getting the best rose hips. Here are some tips on identifying peak harvest time:
Wait Until After the First Frost
Rose hips achieve maximum sweetness and high vitamin C levels after the first light frosts in autumn. Cold temperatures break down stored sugars and acids in the fruit. Hold off picking until after a few hard nightly frosts.
Monitor Color Changes
The best rose hips will transition from hard, green fruits to softer, red or orange colored hips. More anthocyanins and carotenoids develop as the fruits ripen. Watch for these color changes as a sign of readiness.
Pick Before Heavy Rains
Don’t wait too long before harvesting. Heavy autumnal rains can cause molded or rotting rose hips. It’s best to pick them when they are firm and just reaching peak ripeness.
Harvest Season Varies
Depending on your region and climate, the ideal rose hip harvest season falls somewhere between late September through late October. In warmer areas, early November may still work.
Selecting the Best Rose Bushes
For bountiful rose hip foraging, seek out wild rose species or choose the right rose bush varieties. The most productive types include:
- Rosa rugosa: An heirloom rose native to Japan and Korea. It has very large tomato-shaped hips.
- Rosa canina: A wild rose bush found across Europe and western Asia. It’s very high in vitamin C.
- Dog rose hybrids: Many garden cultivars have “dog rose” ancestry ideal for rose hip production.
- Rugosa hybrids: Varieties with rugosa rose parentage also tend to have large, nutritious hips.
In general, rose bushes with the fullest flowers and the roundest hips will be your best bet. Plant or forage species that are adapted to your growing zone.
Harvesting Rose Hips by Hand
Picking ripe rose hips by hand is simple to do. With some tips and the right harvesting technique, you’ll be collecting bowlfuls in no time:
Picking Tips
- Wear gloves and long sleeves. Rose bushes are thorny, so protection prevents scratches.
- Use a small pair of pruning shears or scissors for cleanly cutting hips off the bush.
- A medium bucket or basket works well for gently holding harvested hips.
Technique
- Select firm, fully colored ripe rose hips. Unripe green ones won’t have good flavor or nutrients. Discard any molded fruits.
- Gently twist hips off the stem. Avoid pulling or you may damage the bush.
- Try not to squash or bruise the fruits as you place them into your container. Handle them delicately.
- Store hips in a cool spot out of direct sunlight immediately after picking.
In an hour or two, one person can harvest multiple gallons of rose hips by hand. Keep an eye out for the largest, roundest hips on each bush.
Harvesting Rose Hips Mechanically
For commercial rose hip production or to save time in large rose gardens, mechanical harvesting is an efficient option. Specialized equipment helps rapidly separate the ripe hips from less desirable fruits and foliage.
Popular mechanical harvesters attach to tractors or other utility vehicles. Custom designs also suit smaller ATVs for navigating rows in home orchards. Key features include:
- A catching frame that straddles the rose bushes as you drive
- Adjustable height settings based on the rose’s maturity
- Rolling combs, shakers or strippers that knock the ripe hips loose
- A hopper to collect clean fruits
Mechanical harvesting won’t give quite as consistent results as hand picking. But for rose hip production on any sizable scale, it can drastically increase yields.
Post-Harvesting Handling and Storage
After all your efforts cultivating and picking lush rose hips, proper storage and handling keeps them fresh until you’re ready to use them. Here are some processing tips:
Quickly Separate Out Debris
Immediately after picking, spread the harvested rose hips out and comb through the basket to remove any leaves, stems or critters that got mixed in.
Allow Good Airflow
Keep harvested rose hips in a single layer in a ventilated basket or storage box. Too much moisture causes mold in stored fruit. Good airflow is vital.
Avoid Moisture and Heat
Do not wash rose hips until just before use. Too much humidity will significantly degrade vitamins and nutrition before processing. Store them somewhere cool, dark and dry.
Process Within 2 Days
For best flavor and nutrition, use up freshly picked rose hips within 48 hours. Refrigerate if you need to extend storage for a few extra days before making them into finished products.
Health Benefits of Rose Hips
With their stellar nutritional profile, adding more rose hips into your diet can be great for your health. Some key benefits include:
Excellent Source of Vitamin C
Rose hips have very high vitamin C content—much more than citrus fruits! Fat-soluble vitamins in the hips help your body absorb the vitamin C too. Just one tablespoon of rose hips provides over 100% of your daily recommended vitamin C.
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Rose hips contain bioflavonoids and carotenoids that act as antioxidants in your body to help reduce inflammation. The galactolipids in hips also fight inflammation contributing to arthritis and joint pain.
Supports Immune System Health
The vitamin C and antioxidants in the fruits act as natural immune system boosters. Rose hips tea is a traditional remedy for preventing and shortening duration of colds and respiratory infections.
Helps Prevent Chronic Diseases
The vitamin C and antioxidants in rose hips may help lower risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other chronic conditions according to some human research.
Storing Rose Hips Long Term
If you end up with an abundant rose hip harvest, you may want to store some of the bounty for months rather than days. With proper processing and storage methods, the hips can retain nutrition for up to a year. Here are some tips:
Freezing Rose Hips
One of the easiest long term preservation methods is to freeze harvested rose hips. Rinse and dry the fresh hips thoroughly, spread in a single layer on baking trays and place in the freezer until completely frozen. Transfer to zipper bags or airtight containers.
Canning Rose Hips
Wash fresh rose hips, simmer into a pulp or puree and pack into sterilized mason jars leaving 1⁄2 inch of headspace. Seal the jars and process in a hot water bath for 10-15 minutes based on your altitude. Store canned hips in a cool, dark place for up to a year.
Drying Rose Hips
Dehydrate harvested rose hips either using a food dehydrator, your oven on it’s lowest setting or even via solar drying methods if you live in an arid climate. Dried hips can then be further processed into teas, spice rubs, decorations and more. Store in airtight containers in a cool place away from humidity.
Vacuum Sealing Dried Rose Hips
For the very longest and most nutrient-preserving storage, dry rose hips fully and then seal them in vacuum bags from which all air has been extracted before sealing shut. Keep vacuum sealed rose hips in the freezer for 1+ years.
Making Rose Hip Powder
Grinding dehydrated rose hips into a fine powder helps concentrate nutrition and also preserves vitamins long term. To make it, fully dry clean hips until crispy and brittle. Use a food processor, spice grinder or even mortar and pestle to pulverize into powder. Store the powder in an opaque, sealed container in a cool, dark place.
You can stirred rose hip powder into smoothies, sprinkle it onto oatmeal or yogurt for a nutrition and flavor boost or reconstitute it into tea.
Crafting with Rose Hips
In addition to using rose hips for their outstanding nutritional and Culinary value, their bright colors and rounded shapes make them ideal for crafting as well. Some fun ways to use foraged or homegrown hips for decoration and handmade gifts include:
Potpourri
Dry rose hips fully along with other colorful petals and botanicals. Combine everything in a bowl with some cinnamon sticks and clove buds for a wonderful natural potpourri.
Wreaths
Create stunning wreaths for your front door by wiring on fresh rose hips along with pinecones, curled willow branches and other elements. Or use dry hips for longer lasting wreaths.
Rosaries and Jewelry
String rose hips with sturdy thread to make earthy beaded rosary necklaces. Wire wrap them in gold or silver for rose hip earrings and pendants.
Holiday Decorations
Tuck rose hips into tablescapes and centerpieces or string them into garlands to adorn your home for the autumn and winter holiday season. Both fresh and dried hips add nice pops of color.
With their high nutrient content and glowing colors, rose hips are much more versatile than they seem at first glance. Reap bountiful harvests to utilize all year long both in and out of the kitchen.
Rose Hip Recipes and Uses
From syrups to tea and jam, rose hips can be used in many ways. Try out some of these tasty rose hip recipes:
Rose Hip Syrup
Simmer fresh or dried rose hips into a concentrated, bioavailable syrup that keeps for months refrigerated. Use it to sweeten tea, top yogurt or pancakes or mix into seltzer water.
Rose Hip Tea
Dried rose hips make a tangy, high vitamin C tea. Boil the dried hips for 10+ minutes to extract the most nutrients. Add honey and lemon if you like.
Rose Hip Jelly
Make a small batch jelly to spread on toast, swirl into yogurt or pair with roasted meats. Rose hip jelly highlights the hips’ natural tart flavor and gelled pectin.
Rose Hip Jam
For an easy rose hip jam, simply mash or blend the seeded fresh hips, combine with sugar to taste and cook briefly. The jam will be chunky like raspberry jam.
Rose Hip Pie
Puree seeded rose hips, combine with sugar, spices, thickeners and bake into a sweet pie, like you would with any berry. The vitamin C will boost an already healthy dessert.
With their stellar nutritional profile and signature floral tartness, rose hips are worth getting to know. Follow these harvesting tips and kitchen tricks for delightfully fresh hips to carry you through those long winter months ahead.
FAQs
Some signs rose hips are ripe for picking include: change of color from green to red/orange/purple, softened texture and size start to swell. Wait until after the first frost for peak flavor and nutrition.
Fresh rose hips will last the longest if processed immediately after harvesting. However, they can last in the fridge for a few days up to 2 weeks maximum if stored in a single layer with good airflow. Any longer than that will result in molding or vitamins degrading.
Yes, you can cut the fresh rose hips in half and scoop out the fine hairy seeds from the cavity easily using a spoon. Another trick is to pour boiling rose hip pulp through a mesh strainer to separate the seeds from the fruit puree. Avoid completely seedless rose hip varieties if you want the benefits of nutrients like vitamin E contained in the seeds themselves.
Use a food dehydrator set at 115-125°F for 12-15 hours, stirring periodically, until completely desiccated. As an alternative, spread hips on a baking sheet in the oven using the lowest setting, around 180°F, for 6-12 hours with the oven door slightly ajar. Dried rose hips should feel completely crisp and brittle when ready to store in an airtight container.
It is not recommended to put raw rose hips in the freezer, as the frozen moisture in the center can create rot during thawing. Instead, puree or juice them first to prevent this, then freeze. Canning hips as preserves also preps them for freezing until opening the jar. Pure frozen rose hip pulp can last 12-18 months for excellent nutrition.
