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Collect quantities to be dried or made into teas, jellies, juice, pickles, etc., for winter use.

The process is very easy and similar to air drying flowers, follow these directions:

Sort out the imperfect ones and rinse the batch. Carefully pat dry.

Line a cookie sheet with a screen, or a sheet of cardboard, or parchment or wax paper and spread them across in a single layer.

Leave in a dark, well ventilated area for a few weeks, they’ll be ready when they are hard, wrinkly and darker in color.

You can also do this in the oven on the lowest setting or use a dehydrator.

You can dry them whole or you can cut and seed first (directions below). If mainly using for teas, leaving whole is fine.

Tips: To remove the hairs from them once they’ve dried, grind them up a bit in the food processor then shake the batch in a sieve, the hairs will fall loose. After they have dried, stems and ends can be removed easily by plucking them off.

Storage: Seal in airtight containers or glass jars, store away from direct light.

Tea

There is some loss of Vitamin C if there is a lengthy delay between picking and bottling the product although one of their important advantages as a source of Vitamin C is the unusual stability of this Vitamin as compared with other Vitamin C foods.

Tip: Avoid using aluminum cookware and utensils when preparing them as it can deteriorate their Vitamin C content.

How To Make Tea:

When Using Fresh: 1 to 2 TBS per cup of boiling water, steep for 10 minutes.

When Using Dried: 2 tsp per cup of boiling water, steep for 10 to 15 minutes.

Rose Hip Syrup Recipe

You will need the following:

Ingredients:

- 1/2 kilo of rose hip

- 1 liter of water

- 200 grams sugar

- 2 spoonfuls of lemonjuice

Tools:

- measurement cup and a scale

- pot + spoon

- sieve + bowl

- drying towel or a coffee-filter

- A clean, sterile jar. (you can use steam or vinegear)

Method:

Cut the stems and flowers off the rose hips ans rinse them in cold water.

Place your hips in a pot, keep them intact with seeds and all.

Pour 1 liter of water over them and place on a hot stove.

Bring to boil and let them simmer for about 25 or until they're soft and tender.

First, pour the mass through a sieve and into a bowl.

Then sieve them once again, but this time through the coffee-filter and into a clean pot.

Add sugar to the juice and bring up to a boil again.

Let it boil for about 10 minutes - until it's thick as syrup.

Pour it into a clean, sterile jar.

Rose hip syrup tastes wonderfully with yoghurt, pancakes, icecream, cake, cheese and so on.