Three Ways to Use Foraged Rosehips in the Kitchen

Rosehips are one of the most generous things a British hedgerow offers. From late August, the dog roses and field roses that scrambled through the blackthorn in June hang heavy with scarlet hips, and by the time the first frosts arrive they are soft, sweet and ready for the kitchen. They are also one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C in our countryside, which is exactly why previous generations gathered them in such quantities. Here are three ways to make the most of a good autumn haul — a syrup, a jelly and a dried tea — along with the one piece of preparation that matters more than any other.

When and Where to Pick Rosehips

Look for hips on dog rose, field rose and the larger, rounder hips of Rosa rugosa, often planted along coastal paths and in car parks. The best fruit is deep red, firm and slightly yielding, not wrinkled or shrivelled. Pick from hedgerows away from busy roads, and never from verges that look sprayed or flailed. Take one hip from each cluster rather than stripping a bush bare — the birds rely on them through the winter, and a hard frost actually improves the flavour by turning some of the starch to sugar.

Wear gloves while picking. Take a basket or a cotton bag rather than a plastic tub, so the hips don't sweat and go mouldy on the way home.

Cleaning and Preparing Your Haul

This is the step that puts most people off, so let's deal with it properly. Inside every rosehip, around the seeds, sit fine, glassy hairs — the original itching powder. They are harmless but genuinely unpleasant on skin, and they can irritate the throat if swallowed.

• Never crush or grind dry hips indoors. The hairs become airborne and you will regret it.
• Work with damp hands and a damp cloth, and keep a bowl of water nearby to rinse your fingers.
• Top and tail each hip with a small knife or scissors, then halve it. Use the tip of the knife to flick out the seeds and hairs, or scoop them with a teaspoon.
• For syrup and jelly, you don't need to remove the hairs at all — you simply strain the liquid through double-layered muslin and never squeeze the pulp hard.
• Rinse prepared hips in cold water and use them straight away, or freeze them whole in bags and deal with them later.

Rosehip Syrup

This is the classic hedgerow tonic, and it is gloriously easy once you accept that the straining takes time.

• 500g prepared hips
• 1.5 litres water
• 400g caster sugar for every 500ml of strained juice

Chop the hips roughly and simmer them in 1 litre of water for 20 minutes, until they collapse. Mash them with a potato masher, then pour everything into a jelly bag or a double layer of muslin over a bowl and leave it to drip overnight — do not press it. Return the pulp to the pan with the remaining 500ml water, simmer for 10 minutes, and strain that too. Combine both lots of juice, bring it to a gentle simmer and reduce it to roughly 600ml. Add the sugar, stir over a low heat until dissolved, then boil hard for one minute and pour into sterilised bottles while hot. It keeps for a year unopened, and a month in the fridge once opened. A spoonful stirred into hot water makes a fine remedy for a scratchy autumn throat, and it is wonderful over yoghurt, porridge or vanilla ice cream.

Rosehip Jelly

Rosehips are naturally high in pectin, so they set beautifully with very little fuss. The colour — a clear amber-coral — is worth the effort on its own.

• 1kg hips, roughly chopped
• 1.5 litres water
• Juice of one lemon
• 1kg granulated sugar per litre of strained juice

Simmer the hips with the water for 40 minutes until completely soft, mash, and strain through muslin overnight without squeezing. Measure the juice, add the lemon juice and the sugar, and warm gently until the sugar has dissolved. Then raise the heat and boil rapidly until it reaches setting point — about 105°C on a thermometer, or when a teaspoonful on a cold saucer wrinkles after a minute in the fridge. This usually takes 10 to 15 minutes. Skim off any foam, pot into sterilised jars and seal. Serve it with roast lamb, sharp cheese or hot buttered toast.

Dried Rosehips for Tea

Drying is the simplest way to keep hips through the winter, and the tea is lovely — fruity, slightly tart and deeply cheering on a grey afternoon. Halve and clean the hips as above, then dry them at 40–50°C in a dehydrator for 8 to 12 hours, or on a tray in a barely warm oven with the door propped open. They are ready when they rattle and snap rather than bend. Store them in an airtight jar in a dark cupboard and use within a year.

Use one to two teaspoons per mug, steeped for eight to ten minutes. Always strain through a fine sieve or a paper filter bag, because a few stray hairs will still be present. A pinch of dried hibiscus, a strip of orange peel or a clove or two makes a delicious blend.

A Few Notes on Safety and Storage

Only ever forage hips you can identify with absolute certainty, and skip anything growing where weedkiller or road salt is likely. Prepare your syrup, jelly and tea in small batches and label everything with the date. Kept cool and dark, the syrup and jelly will see you comfortably to next autumn, and the dried hips will keep their colour and their vitamin C far better than you might expect. Happy foraging.