How to Brew Rose Hip Herbal Tea Decoction

Unlike tea infusions, which are prepared by steeping leaves or flowers in hot water, rose hips tea must be prepared as a decoction. Decoctions are typically used to brew herbal tea from hardy herbal material such as roots and, in this case, rose hip. The process involves boiling the herb for at least 10 minutes in your pan. Read on to learn how to brew rose hip tea.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Purchase dried rose hips from the health food store or co-op. At the time of this writing, it is commonly sold for about $25 per pound.
   If you have fresh rose hips, roughly chop them up and use these instead.

2. Place two tablespoons of dried rose hips into a pan. Pour in two cups of water. Now bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to a rapid simmer.

3. Allow the brew to boil for at least 10 minutes. The goal is to have the rose hip shell to expand and split, so that the water can access the soft seeds inside the rose hip.

4. Strain the brewed herbal tea into a pitcher or other container to get rid of the seeds, rose hip and other herbal material. The rose hip tea will be pink in color.

5. Sweeten the tea with stevia or honey if desired. Alternatively, add mint to tone down its acid-like taste.

6. Discard the strained material if you like. However, you can also eat the cooked rose hip berry.