How to Get Vitamin C From Rose Hips

Rose hips are best to eat when they are quite ripe, as they are sweetest at this time

Rose hips, also called rose fruits, are rose bushes' seed pods. They are not widely recognized since most gardeners tend to prune dead or dying blooms in order to encourage the plant to produce more flowers. However, if you leave these dying flowers alone, they will eventually produce a small red seed ball about the size of a large blueberry or a cherry, depending on the variety of rose bush. Birds love these seed balls, but they are not just for the birds. Rose hips are extremely high in vitamin C, which scientists believe can prevent serious health problems like heart disease, cataracts, gum disease and even cancer. Not all of these findings are conclusive, but it is generally acknowledged that average adults should consume some vitamin C every day. To determine exactly how much you should be getting, consult your doctor as this amount is greatly influenced by health and lifestyle . Rose hips can be prepared in many different ways and are a great way to get your vitamin C in a natural form rather than from taking a pill.

Things You'll Need

• Paring knife
• Rose hips
• Strainer
• Pot
• Cutting board

Instructions

1. 

   Trim off the stem and blossom ends. These are at the "top" and "bottom" of the rose hip where it used to be attached to the bush and where the flower used to be attached to the rose hip.

2. Cut the rose hip in half. Press the rose hip lightly onto the cutting board, then slice it open. Your knife needs to be very sharp to avoid simply crushing the fruit.

3. Remove the seeds. You can scrape them out with a knife.

4. Boil the rose hips to make a tea. Boil 10 to 20 rose hips in 3 cups of water. They will create a semi-sweet infusion that you can drink and that is loaded with vitamin C. Just strain out the fruit before drinking.

5. 

   Dry the rose hips to make a crunchy, nut-like candy. You can dry rose hips by spreading them out in the sun or baking them in the oven until they are crisp. They are just like any other dried fruit and will keep indefinitely. You can coat them with brown sugar and butter if you wish before drying to make them a little sweeter.

6. Serve the rose hips in a fresh salad. Rose hips are a great garnish for a lettuce salad or you can base the entire salad around them. Recipes similar to apple salad recipes are a great way to serve rose hips.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also make jams, jellies and sauces out of rose hips. Any of these dishes will be high in vitamin C, but eating the rose hips raw or drinking the tea will provide the highest amounts of vitamin C.

• Consult your doctor to find out exactly how much vitamin C you should be getting each day. Because vitamin C is water soluble, it is very hard to actually absorb too much because your body is always eliminating it with your urine. However, it is important not to overdose on this vitamin, so work with your doctor or a dietitian to decide exactly how much is right for your health and lifestyle.

• Never use rose hips from plants that have been treated with insecticides. Even after you have washed them, you run the risk of ingesting the poison that you treated the plant with.

Resources

• Learn more about the benefits of vitamin C