Wild Harvesting around Park City (ROSE HIPS Rosa s
Staying warm and healthy in winter while snows are falling, can be fun easy and rewarding.
Rose hips are usually abundant in the early months of winter and a great wild harvested medicinal to keep us warm and healthy. Rose hips are the seed pods from roses. They are typically bight orange to deep red in color and can range from pea to almond in size. The hard thorny branches that they extend from keep them accessible for picking into the winter months. They can be found on mountainsides, meadows and river banks. They are a source of food for birds so pick sparingly always leaving the majority on the plant. They tend to be much sweeter and mushier as the winter goes one with the freezing and thawing breaking them down. Walking by the water you will usually find bunches of them that stick up from the snow offering their sweet and sour selves to help keep us healthy. Remember to sow the seeds after they are removed to keep them around.
Rose Hips being deseeded, and removing the hairy pith.
Rose hips are very high in Vitamin C and other BioFlavonoids that help our bodies fight infections, free radicals, and keeps our tissues healthy. The vitamin C is said to be in a form that is heat stable, so making tea with the hips is a great and tasty way to get your vitamin C.
Making a Tea with the hips
1-2 tsp of the dried hips per 2 cups of water heated to boil then simmer for 5-10 min on low heat, Some water will evaporate leaving enough for a large cup of tea.
I like to heat them on the stove in the water to be used for other tea. They tend to need a few minutes at a simmer to fully rehydrate and seep into the water. I pour this over nettle or mint leaves to make a nutrient rich tea full of vitamins and minerals. The left over rinds can be used in salads to add some tang or put into smoothies.