Wild Roses
I grew up on rosehip tea, and I loved to pick and eat the half-frozen hips—the marmalade-like inside, not the hairy seeds—during winter. There is no wonder that wild roses and their fruit are my favourites.
There are many types of wild roses, like Rosa rubiginosa (sweet briar) or Rosa arvensis (field rose), but Rosa canina (dog rose) is without a doubt the best known wild rose. All the wild roses have edible fruits called hips.
Rosa canina is a deciduous shrub that is up to three meters tall. Its beautiful light pink flowers turn into deep red hips which are full of vitamin C. The shrub can be found across the whole of Europe but sometimes also in Northwest Africa and in some parts of Asia.
It usually grows in sunny and dry places, on the edge of a forest or field, and along the paths.
The fruit should be harvested in September and October during sunny or at least dry weather. It's better to dry the hips fast, squeezing them gently before drying might speed up the process.
The dried fruit should be used within one year.
Rosehip tea is especially popular during flu seasons and/or in winter as it supports the immune system. It is slightly diuretic and it can be used for urinary tract inflammation or kidney problems.
For a cup of tea (250ml) you'll need one teaspoon (5g) of dried rosehips, then pour boiling water over them, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. I like to crush the hips in a mortar before preparing my tea, but that's optional.
Rosehip wine, syrup, and marmalade are also very popular.
Wild roses can be found in folklore as well; Sleeping Beauty is the best-known tale featuring a wild rose. It was recorded by the Grimm brothers in their Hausmärchen as "Little Brier-Rose."
Embroidered wild roses can be also part of some Czech folk costumes.
There are many types of wild roses, like Rosa rubiginosa (sweet briar) or Rosa arvensis (field rose), but Rosa canina (dog rose) is without a doubt the best known wild rose. All the wild roses have edible fruits called hips.
Rosa canina is a deciduous shrub that is up to three meters tall. Its beautiful light pink flowers turn into deep red hips which are full of vitamin C. The shrub can be found across the whole of Europe but sometimes also in Northwest Africa and in some parts of Asia.
It usually grows in sunny and dry places, on the edge of a forest or field, and along the paths.
The fruit should be harvested in September and October during sunny or at least dry weather. It's better to dry the hips fast, squeezing them gently before drying might speed up the process.
The dried fruit should be used within one year.
Rosehip tea is especially popular during flu seasons and/or in winter as it supports the immune system. It is slightly diuretic and it can be used for urinary tract inflammation or kidney problems.
For a cup of tea (250ml) you'll need one teaspoon (5g) of dried rosehips, then pour boiling water over them, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. I like to crush the hips in a mortar before preparing my tea, but that's optional.
Rosehip wine, syrup, and marmalade are also very popular.
Wild roses can be found in folklore as well; Sleeping Beauty is the best-known tale featuring a wild rose. It was recorded by the Grimm brothers in their Hausmärchen as "Little Brier-Rose."
Embroidered wild roses can be also part of some Czech folk costumes.
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