About the Recipe
Rosehips (Rosa spp.) have many health benefits
Their seeds are coated in tiny hairs which are an irritant (they were once used to make itching powder) so need to be prepared carefully! Made into syrups and sauces, rosehips are the highest quantity of vit C found in nature! So good, in fact, that during the Second World War volunteers were sent out to pick them, to be made into bottles of vitamin-rich syrup at a time when many fresh fruits were in short supply. They can also be used to make wine.
The sensual, fruit hips represent the female reproductive system, womb shaped nourishing shells filled with thousands of tiny seeds holding the potential of generations to come; tonic for the female reproductive system; gentle nervine quality encourages nurture and relaxation
Nourish us as we cross from autumn to winter; patience to deal with the pressure of winter analogy with menopause, as we cross into our 2nd spring
Ayurveda view- Relives excess pitta, irritability, anger, low self esteem and spirits. Very helpful in times of loss, shock and grief, to express emotions, space to heal and connect with emotions. Also nourishes the reproductive tissue so helpful in menopause.
Remind of how important it is to protect ourselves with our thorns, to link arms with our communities, as she does with bramble, hawthorn, sloes in hedgerows
Also contains tannins which help heal the gut
Anti inflammatory effect very useful in arthritis, and generally cools inflammation
Ingredients
You need 400g rosehips and about 200g granulated brown sugar.
Preparation
Wash and drain the rosehips and trim off and discard the green stems. Pat the rosehips dry and put them into a freezer bag or other freezer-proof container. Freeze the hips overnight and defrost them a couple of hours before you are ready to make the syrup.
Put the defrosted rosehips into a food processor and blitz them to a pulp (or chop with a knife – we recommend wearing gloves when handling the chopped fruit).
Put the fruit pulp into a saucepan with 700ml water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the fruit is completely soft.
Line a sieve with a double layer of muslin and set it over a large bowl or jug. Pour in the pulp and liquid and leave it to drip through.
You should end up with about 320ml of liquid. For every 80ml of liquid, measure out 50g of sugar. Put the sugar and strained liquid into a clean pan. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring gently to dissolve the sugar, then simmer 5 minutes.
Pour hot syrup into sterilised bottles leaving a small gap at the top. Refrigerate once opened
This can be poured over porridge, yoghurt, pancakes or ice cream or used as a cordial.
To make a raw version, gently score a few lines through the skin of red rose hips, then layer them in a wide-mouthed jar with enough sugar to fill up all the gaps between the hips. Leave on a sunny windowsill for a couple of months or until the sugar has drawn the juice from the hips and liquified. Strain off the liquid, bottle and store in the fridge. This is a really thick and delicious syrup. Take a teaspoonful or two daily to prevent colds.