Rose Hips

[Guest Guest]

One of the things little DD and I have been doing this year is to discover and watch for the changes in the wild plants growing in our woods and around our pond.

 

We have lots of wild roses that grow and they make lots of tiny wild rose hips. These were used in Great Britain during WW2 to keep the children healthy because they are so full of vitamin C.

 

Naval blockades were keeping citrus fruits from reaching the country, so scientists studied local plants and discovered that rose hips were an excellent source of C. This vitamin is important to prevent rickets and other health problems.

 

Anyone else gather and use wild rose hips? I'm trying to find more info about how best to use these tiny things!

[Freetobeme]

They can be dried for use in tea or made into rose hip jam.

 

Rose hips, orange peel, and ginger tea for congestion

 

Rose Hip Jam (High in vitamin C)

 

Rose hips

1 c. water for each pound hips

sugar

 

Simmer hips and water until hips are very tender. Put through a sieve and weigh the pulp. Add an equal weight of sugar. Simmer over low heat until thick. Pack into sterilized jars and process.

 

Hips should be picked after the first frost and only from bushes that you are certain were not sprayed.

 

This recipe is adapted from one in Putting Food By, authors - Ruth Hertzberg, Beatrice Vaughan, Janet Greene.

[Roseofsharon]

I have never used it fresh - but when I was nursing ds #3 I got a huge sore lump on my breast, had a fever - it was mastitis- and a friend recommended Rose Hips -I took it every couple of hours and in a day or so the infection went away! Good stuff. Maybe something good to have on hand in your supplies....

[gardnmom]

Rose Hips

AKA: Hipberry

Roses, in addition to being prized for their beautiful blossoms, have a long history of medicinal use. In ancient Greece, Hippocrates recommended a mixture of roses and oil to treat diseases of the uterus.

India’s traditional Ayurvedic physicians have long considered rose petals to be cooling and astringent, leading to their use in poultices to treat skin wounds and inflammations. They also used rose petals and rose water as laxatives. The 12th century German herbalist Hildegard of Bingen recommended rose hip tea as the initial treatment for nearly every ailment. In the 19th century, North American herbalists beat rose hips into a paste that they used as a base for making pills that contained other ingredients.

Roses almost disappeared from use as an herbal remedy until the discovery of vitamin C and the subsequent discovery that rose hips are a good source of this nutrient. Based on the high vitamin C content of rose hips, contemporary herbalists recommend them for treating colds and the flu. In Germany, rose petal infusions are an approved treatment for mouth sores.

Useful Properties

While taking vitamin C does not appear to prevent colds or the flu, scientific evidence demonstrates its ability to reduce their severity and duration if a minimum of 2,000 mg a day is taken, beginning at the moment the first symptoms appear.

A benefit of getting vitamin C from rose hip tea is that the hot liquid helps soothe sore throats, ease nasal congestion, and relieve coughs. It also warms the throat, making it difficult for the virus to replicate. (Cold viruses reproduce best at a temperature around

35° C/95° F.)

Potential Benefits

Shortening the duration of colds

Relieving cold and flu symptoms

Treating mouth sores

Suggested Dosage (adults only)

There are no recommendations regarding daily rose hip dosage, but the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for vitamin C is

30 – 40 mg.

When using commercial rose hip preparations, follow the manufacturer’s directions.

To make an infusion, add 7 – 14 g (2 – 3 tsp.) of dried chopped rose hips to 240 mL (1 c.) of boiling water and steep for ten minutes. The infusion may be strained before drinking.

Additional Notes

High doses of vitamin C may cause diarrhea in some people, and they can strain the kidneys. Anyone with kidney disease should consult a physician before using large amounts of rose hips.

While rose hips contain a significant amount of vitamin C, the drying process destroys from 45 - 90% of it, and infusions extract only about 40% of what is left. That is still a considerable amount, but it is less than many people expect. This should be kept in mind when basing daily vitamin C intake on rose hip infusions.