If you’re someone who likes a perfectly groomed garden, I’m going to save you some time: stop reading. But if you’re someone who likes to enjoy both the beauty and the flavors your garden has to offer, then you’ve come to the right place. Rose hips are not only attractive, but also tasty and nutritious.
Depending on where you live, rose hips ripen at the end of summer or the beginning of fall. They’re persistent fruits, which means they linger on the plant until someone (or something) takes them off. It’s not unusual to see last year’s shrivelled fruits still on the rose plant when new flowers bloom, although birds or mammals (including human foragers) often clean up the fruit before that happens.
Some people like to harvest rose hips as soon as they ripen (to beat non-human foragers to the prize?) and others leave them on the plant to sweeten. The choice is up to you, and of course, it will at least partly depend on how you want to use them. We’ll get to that in a minute, but here’s why you should harvest rose hips in the first place.
What are Rose Hips? (and why are they called hips?)
Let’s get that second question out of the way first. The answer is: I don’t know. Apparently the word “hiope” meant “seed vessel of the wild rose” in Olde Englishe. I don’t find that especially helpful. But you asked.
If you grow roses, and if you conscientiously deadhead them to encourage more bloom, you won’t get any hips. But, if you’d like to cultivate a crop of hips, let the flowers linger and become pollinated. Hips will start to form within a week of pollination. If you absolutely can’t stand to let the faded petals stay on the plant, you may gently remove them once you see the base of the flower start to swell. (That swelling will become the hip.) But seriously, that is a whole new level of OCD.
Rose hips are the red/pink/orange fruits of roses and they’re packed with vitamin C. During WWII, the Brits gave women and children rose hip syrup as a vitamin supplement. (I know this because I watch Call the Midwife.) Rose hips taste terrific, but don’t just pop a raw hip into your mouth! Inside each red fruit are many small seeds, surrounded by many small hairs. Those hairs were used to make the original itching powder (Remember when that was advertised in the back of comic books?) and are highly irritating.
When to Harvest Rose Hips & How to Process Them
For the sweetest possible fruit, wait to pick until after a frost. You’ll want to do this if you’re making jam, jelly, syrup, or liqueur. It’s less important for soup or savory sauces. Any rose that hasn’t been sprayed with toxic chemicals produces edible hips, but depending on what you want to do with your fruit, you might want to focus on larger hips. I use smaller rose hips for jelly and syrup, since it can be tedious to cut and scoop the small fruits.
It’s less important what the rose hips look like and more important how they taste and smell. The most delicious hips I’ve ever harvested were on a wild rose in Denver in spring, after the hips had been on the plant over a long, hard winter. They looked shriveled and dry…not exactly appetizing. But the flavor was sweet and reminiscent of strawberries.
If you want to make pulp, you’ll need to clean the seeds and hairs out of each hip, so look for large fruits like those produced by rugosa roses (Rose rugosa) or dog roses (Rosa canina). Cut the fruit in half, then scoop out the seeds and hairs, and discard them. Put the cleaned pulp in a pan and barely cover with water. Cook over low – medium heat until the water is absorbed and the pulp has softened. Run the pulp through a food mill, then use it to make fruit leather, jam, liqueurs, sauces, and that Scandinavian classic: rose hip soup.
If you want to make jelly or syrup you can use whole rose hips, no de-seeding required. You may juice rose hips in a saucepan or in a steam juicer. If you use a steam juicer, just pop the fruit into the top section of your juicer. If you’re using a saucepan, break them up a little before juicing. Just give them a few pulses in a blender or food processor with a little water, then transfer the hips to the saucepan. And, If you use a saucepan, you’ll need to add a little more water to cook the fruit, then strain the pulp through a jelly bag at the end to get your juice. Also, with the saucepan method, I sometimes cook the pulp a second time, then combine the two batches for maximum juice. Once you’ve got your juice, you can turn that into rose hip syrup, or a rose hip cocktail.
Rose hips store well in the freezer, or if you’ve got a dehydrator, you can dry the fruit and rehydrate it when you have time to play with your harvest. Save the water you use to rehydrate the hips…it may come in handy in your recipe. When you do have time to cook with your rose hips, stay away from copper or aluminum cookware. Copper can destroy the vitamin C and aluminum dulls the bright red color of the fruit.
No info on rose hip tea? When to pick, how to dry and make.
I’m sorry, Madalaine, I’m not a big tea fan. But there will be more rose hip recipes forthcoming.
Hi!
My mum always had a tea pot with rose hips on the go. Handful of rose hips into a metal pot filled with water. Bring to boil, boil for 15 min or until the water colours. First infusion takes longest, could be drunk lighter. Drink tea as required, we have just used to come for more during the day. Next day same rosehips would be used for another infusion, same process, each time a bit faster. The same rosehips probably give between 3-5 infusions, depending on taste. Rosehips used if left unsubmerged appear to have a white coating on, that is not mould but just the minerals from the water. Keep used rosehips in fridge between infusions but altogether no longer than 3 days of tea making. Enjoy the tea hot or cold!
Thanks Tammi. Been looking at my Rosa Rugosa hips for awhile now knowing I could use them somehow. And now I know.
????
Do you know how to infuse fresh rose hips to make rose hip oil? It’s wonderful on your skin! Thanks. Diane
I have very oily skin, so the moisturizers I use are oil free. But it sounds lovely. DO you make it?
Rose hip oil is VERY beneficial to the skin, especially for scarring. I made mine with Jojoba oil, Argan oil, rosehips, Vitamin E, carrot seed extract. My friend is allergic to it possibly from the carrot seed extract. I find many people are allergic to that. I also have oily skin but it works great for the Wintertime.
I have a glass double boiler and I infuse the oils VERY slowly with herbs in it. Olive oil, coconut, many types.
I have heard from several dermatologists that oily skin needs oil and its because of that the skin over produces it to compensate the lack of the body producing its own in some people. Now why some people don’t produce enough is another question. At any rate lots of info on castor for skin benefits so maybe try it, I know it works because for over 23 years I worked in a less than good environment for my skin. I retired a couple years ago at 68. I had developed lines and jowls. Well Ive been using castor oil to my skin regime and the lines on my neck and my face is much firmer and even a scar I have had on my nose from the age of 18 months has become less noticeable. It also smooths creamy skin eyes lids and forehead lines are lessened. Im going soak some reships into some castor oil and see if it is absorbed. Nothing ventured nothing gained, and at 70 now Ive become more open about doing things I might not of at a younger age. Heck ive only maybe got another 20 years if I live to 90:)
Dumb question, maybe, but can I do anything with ‘dead’ or brown rose hip? I’m pruning my bushes for trim and just learned about harvesting rose hip (oil).
It’s not a dumb question, but sadly there’s nothing I know of that can be done with dead/brown rose hips. I’d love to be wrong about this, but since I use them for flavor (not medicinal purposes) once the color has gone, I don’t find them to be tasty any more. Maybe an herbalist can tell you if the brown hips are useful. My guess is no, but that’s not my area of expertise. I’m all about the food! : )
I have lots of Wild rose bushes on my property and do pick the rose hips for tea, juice, tinctures etc. This year we are going away for 3 weeks, so I’m wondering when I need to pick them. We had a light frost last night and will get another one tonight, then no frost for a while. If I don’t pick today or tomorrow, will they go all soft and turn bad or will they still be good later? How much frost can they handle before its too late to pick?
Hi Gwenyth, I’ve harvested delicious rose hips in May in the Colorado Rockies; they’d been on the plant all winter and the flavor was fantastic! I’ve also seen rose hips dry up and turn brown by the end of November in Santa Fe, in an especially dry year. So I suggest you keep your eyes on them. If they’re still red when you’re leaving town, I’d take the chance and leave them until you come back. You may loose a few to the birds, but you should still have plenty. And if that makes you nervous, harvest some before you go and leave some on the plants as an experiment. I don’t know where you live (or how cold and dry it is) but my bet is they can handle all the frost you can give them.
Thank you.
So if you make syrup without deseeding the rosehips, do the stinging hairs not affect the syrup?
Hi Kristi, The hairs don’t sting, they would just be itchy/irritating on your throat if you swallowed them. And since you’ll be straining the rose hip pulp through a jelly bag, you’ll strain out the hairs along with the seeds and pulp. You’re left with only the juice to make your syrup. If you’re planning to work with the flesh (not just the juice as you do for syrup), then you’ll need to scoop out the seeds and hairs. But for juice/syrup the jelly bag should catch all the solid particles.
Hi. I’m s construction worker. I get to visit people’s houses snd gardens on a daily basis. I don’t know the next time I’ll be back st this house do i wanna know if i can pick the hips before ripe to use the seeds at my away home. Currently itd the middle of august in southern ontario canada. The seeds look formed inside the pods. Thank you.
Hi Dan, I appreciate your interest in starting roses from seeds. Here’s what I suggest: 1) I assume you’ll ask before you pick your client’s rose hips, right? 2) What kind of rose is it? Youmight be successful starting Rosa rugosa from seed, but generally, roses are started from cuttings, not seeds. That doesn’t mean you can’t do it, but it’s not the easiest or most effective way to propagate roses. 3) Are the rose hips fully red? If not, the seeds may not be truly ripe inside. Again, you can try planting the seeds, but you’ll have your best luck when the seeds are fully ripe. My friend Melinda has a video on how to start roses from seed. Maybe this will be helpful to you: https://www.melindamyers.com/audio-video/melindas-garden-moment-audio-tips/planting-starting-new-plants/starting-roses-from-seed
Thank you for the quick reply. Most of the work i do is new custom homes so it would be a sin if i didn’t take what i could before the landscapers kill it. I’ve never done a house where the old vegetation stays. I will try these seeds out and if not then i guess I’ll have to buy some. Thank you.
Well that makes sense! I thought you were talking about an existing landscape. I certainly understand the impulse to rescue plants! I’m not sure where you’re located, but where I forage, the most common wild rose is R. multiflora, which I wouldn’t necessarily recommend planting. Do you know what kind of roses you’re finding?
I have no idea what they are because the flowers are all brown amd dry now. The plant is in its newly created shade. I plan on planting them in front of windows on my little property outside the city as more of a protection because of the wildlife. Thank you.
Just so you know, deer love roses. Some people expect the thorns to deter deer browsing, but they don’t! Not sure if that’s the wildlife you’re talking about.
I do get lots of deer, the occasional bear and sometimes a snoopy neighbor that i catch on my game cam. Apart from all that, i like to watch things grow.
Helllo. I am wanting to make an infused oil for a skin treatment. I have never worked worked with rosehips in this way but would assume for this purpose it is best to harvest them before they dry out. What do you suggest? Am thinking of doing the same with evening primrose and again, thinking similarly, before seed pods dry out seems to make sense. Thank you.
Hi Kym, I’m sorry but I have no expertise with medicinals or skin treatments. I’m all about the food! However, I CAN recommend several wonderful colleagues who know a lot about this kind of thing. I bet you’ll find the information you need at https://gardentherapy.ca/, https://nittygrittylife.com/, and https://www.growforagecookferment.com/. Hope that helps!
Do you know anything about making essential oil from rose hips? To be used on the face and in bath salt scrubs-?
Hi Erin, I’m sorry but I don’t. I’m into the food, not the medicinals or body products. But my friend Colleen Codekas might be able to help. You can check her out at Grow Forager Cook Ferment. Also my friend Stephanie Rose has a lot of information about this kind of thing on her site: Garden Therapy. They are both very knowledgeable and I bet you’ll find what you’re looking for there.
As far as I know, the rosehip oil you buy is oil pressed from the seeds and is actually oil from the rosehip. I haven’t figured out how to do that without special equipment. People also make rosehip infused oil by soaking rosehips in a carrier oil so that it is a rosehip infused oil rather than a pure rosehip oil. People, correct me if I’m wor g o that. Infusing rosehip into an oil is an easy process. Plenty on line about that. Basically pour a good quality carrier oil over rosehips, heat gently for a several hours, let it infuse for as long as you like and strain out the oil.
I just picked a 1/2 coffee can of wild rose hips,I’d love to show you pictures of the bush in bloom, it’s the center piece of my back yard,It’s been in my family 5 generations and survived moving 5 different states and at least 10 moves, I know of.
So can I split the hips and put them into a dehydrator, dry them out, and than run the halves through something food processor , or coffee grinder to make rose hip tea. I’m not sure I want to do all the work to get the seeds and hairs out? Any suggestion to make processing easier.
Lucky for you, no de-seeding is required to make rose hip tea. Just dry the hips and use them whole. Depending on the size of your teapot, you’ll need 1-3 teaspoons of dried hips, infusing for 15-20 minutes.
I have picked rose hips this yesr slightly underripe, will they ripen more now that they have been harvested?
I’m not sure they’ll continue to ripen, but if you’d like to try the old “put them in a paper bag with a ripe apple” trick, please let us know how it goes.
Hi, you mentioned about steam juicing the hips. This is the method that I aim to do this year however don’t see the benefit in blitzing for a short time before adding it to the steam juicer as I’m concerned about small hairs getting into the final product. I’ve only ever steam juiced elderberries so this will be a first that I’m willing to try!
Thank you for the information
Excellent point! I’ll go amend the post now because you are absolutely right. If you juice them in a steam juicer, no need to blitz. Tha would only be if you’re going to do it in a pan on the stove. Thank you!
Do the seeds have to be extracted from the fruit for long term storage of the seeds? Can the whole fruit be planted in the spring and would the seeds still be viable? Thanks.
Sorry, but I have no personal experience with that. I forage for the hips, but I don’t plant them!
Perhaps you can help me. I only learned that all roses make rosehips about 6 months ago and have been trying to understand why my rosebush can’t seem to maintain any potential hips. I take care not to deadhead them unless I see the stems start to turn black and I know that they weren’t pollinated. But I had been watching one particular bulb begin to swell back in May and I could watch it from my kitchen window to keep track of it’s progress, patiently waiting to see it turn red. But after about 5 months, the bulb turned brown and the stem blackened and it shriveled without ever turning red. Now, I honestly don’t know what kind of roses these are as they were left by the previous tenants of the apartment, and I live in Louisiana where aside from last years polar vortex in February, snow and frost are highly uncommon, but if every rose can produce hips, what could be causing mine to wither before they can even ripen? I’ve checked for parasites (caught an unruly caterpillar once, munching away on an unripe hip ) but as far as I can tell, nothing external had gotten to that one. Is there something else I can do to help my roses? It’s rather discouraging to watch a green hip develop and swell only for it to rot before it’s even ripened. I have never had rosehips before, much less grown them purposely. Do you have any advice?
Modern roses are often hybridized for specific characteristics. A breeder may engineer a rose to produce more petals, but in doing so may sacrifice scent. Another breeder may create a rose that is disease-resistant, but in doing so, may sacrifice hips. There are actually a lot of people who prefer roses that don’t form hips. (I’m not one of them!) They think they’re messy. Whenever I buy a rose, I ask if that rose makes hips and if the answer is no, I don’t buy that rose. Since you inherited these roses, and since you don’t know what kind you have, I can’t be much help. But it’s possible you inherited a rose that was specifically bred not to produce hips.
That’s absolutely correct. Check out what varieties produce the best hips and grow those. “Nearly Wild” is a variety I have that produces large hips that stay on all winter. Gurney’s used to carry them.
Hi! A question about trimming the hips off the bush. Should I be able to pluck them off by hand? Or is there a specific way to trim them off that is better / kinder to the plant? I know there are specific ways to cut stems for propagating new rose bushes, I just wonder if the same principle applies here…
You can pick them right off the plant by hand.
Hi there! I discovered a rosehip on my bush in April, after the winter. While I obviously can’t use it for eating as it’s completely shriveled with no fruit inside, would it be possible for me to harvest the seeds inside?
Thanks
You may be able to use those seeds, but I can’t promise they’ll be viable. Seed viability will depend on several things, like moisture and temperature, but also on what kind of rose it is. Some rose cultivars will produce fertile seeds, but not all. I think this is a question that might be better answered by a rosarian…especially if you know what kind of rose you have. I know more about eating roses than propagating them!
My rose bush has large hips 3/4″ diameter and green. Do I need to wait until October since it is now July? Can they be “ripened” by placing them in the freezer? or do I just need to have patience!
Patience, Grasshopper. But seriously, the hips need to ripen, so wait until they turn red or orange. The color will depend on the type of rose you have and how long you have to wait will depend on where you are located.
I have a gigantic Rosa rugosa that’s made more hips than usual this year. I’m just getting interested in the culinary use of rose hips since reading a book called The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. The author weeded out all her cookbooks and recipes but found about 3 she wanted to keep. One recipe was for Pickled Rose Hip Marmalade. I haven’t made it yet but it sounds like it must be exceptional. I think it’s called Pickled because it has vinegar in it. The rose hips are cut in half and seeded so it’s labor intensive. I hope it’s as good as it’s reported to be.
Oh man, that sounds fantastic! Please, please come back and lmk how it turns out.
Hi!
I have a lot of rose hips on my rose bush right now. The hips are bright red, orange and yellow. Everything I have read says to wait until first frost. I’ve never harvested them but it seems I get two rounds of rose hips each year. Can I dehydrate now in the middle of Summer? Or should I wait until Fall?. We live in NC, My bushes are loaded!
Hi Terry, I suggest you taste a rose hip and make yourdecision based on flavor. If they taste slightly sweet, pleasant to you, then go ahead and harvest.
Hi,
My rugosas are covered in ripe rosehips and a lot of them are already wrinkled. Can I still use the ones that are wrinkled but not brown. The red ones are slightly sweet and taste a bit like an apple.
Thank you.
Irene
You can ABSOLUTELY use wrinkled (but still red) rose hips! In fact, the best rose hips I ever ate were very wrinkled. No brown ones, though!