Just found some hips, what are they?

[Islay]

Just been on a foraging walk, where I found practically nothing (early blackberries not quite there, lots of green nuts and berries), but did come across some rosehips of some description.

The leaves of the plant look like a dog rose, but slightly darker and more textured, and the hips are bigger and rounder, and the hips aren't quite as bright as later rosehips.

Anyone got any ideas how to identify? Or if they're edible? I only picked a couple, but thought I'd go back for more if they'll do for syrup or something. Or am I just likely to end up with a nasty tummy?

Thanks!

[Hedgehogpie]

Do they look anything like these?


It's a bit difficult to be sure without a picture or more detail, but it sounds as though you may have found som Rosa rugosa hips. Very large and fleshy, almost like small tomatoes ripening from orange to a deep red. They're great, very tasty and lovely to process because of their size. The bushes are covered in small sharp thorns making them good for barrier plants in hedges and on boundries & the flowers are good too, very fragrant in either single or double forms of cerise pink or white (Rosa rugosa Alba).

[Islay]

They look exactly like those! And a man walking his dog past when I was picking them happened to comment on what a fragrant flower it had had, which sounds right. Also I got a thorn in my hand when I picked some leaves, so probably it. Have just finished fishing it out with a needle.

Presumably I can make things like rosehip syrup in the same way as the littler dog rose ones?

Thank you very much for identifying my hips.

[Silver Ether]

I haven't used the hips but the petals make lovely rose petal jam ... or syrup if it doesn't set
Edit... should have said the purply pink ones, the colour is lovely.

Also just spotted this

http://www.springvalleyroses.com/intheg ... cipes.html

[ellie12022]

Can any rosehips be used - I have some roses of some description in my garden, small thorns, not very fragrant but look pretty? Does it affect the flowering of the plants if the rosehips are taken?

Has anybody made rosehip syrup? Is it easy? What do you need for it?

[Hedgehogpie]

Yes, to the best of my knowledge you can use any rosehip that turns red in autumn in exactly the same ways, including the black hips of the Burnet Rose which make a beautiful deep maroon coloured syrup but are generally rather small and a bit time consuming to process. I really love the Rosa rugosa ones though, they're great nibbled raw when you're out for a stroll but do mind out for the hairy seeds inside!

I have a (rather large ) file of rosehip recipes/stuff I've trawled off the 'net over the years that you might find interesting so if anyone would like copies please feel free to pm me you email addy & I'll pass it on*.

* to be honest I would post it here, it's really too big to put on in one lump however if the mods are happy for me to do so, I'll gladly post it up.

[Millymollymandy]

Hi Hedgehogpie - do you know how many pages it is? Perhaps if you post it as a new topic and if it is really long then perhaps break it up into several postings. I think everyone would be interested in the info.

Milims posted a recipe for rose petal cordial the other day somewhere if anyone is interested. Probably in the cooking section or maybe in this section - I can't search whilst in the middle of typing!

Nope it was in the home brew section!
http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... 19&t=14835

[Hedgehogpie]

Ok! I'll post it all up tomorrow under a separate thread. :O)