Autumn is the time to enjoy foraging for food with the hedge rows are full of tasty morsels. As we head into December there are still Rose hips in the hedges but they will be disappearing soon. Perhaps the brightest of the natures fruits are the rose hips. These hips contain the hairy seeds of the wild or dog rose, and later in the autumn they can be recognised against the sky as little beacons of red atop very thorny stems.Great care is needed to harvest these fruits, protection is required against the jaggy thorns.

Children used to love gathering the hips for a more mischievous purpose, and that was to make itchy powder. By squishing open the hip and putting it down the back of a class mate, it was deemed fun to watch the victim squirm.

Rose Hips contain natural fruit sugar. They are a good source of calcium, silica, magnesium, phosphorous, and most importantly Vitamin C.

The naturopath A. Vogel suggested the use of Rose Hips for bleeding gums, loose teeth, chills, colds, and the predisposition to hemorrhaging.

During the war years children were sent out to the fields to gather the ripe rose hips,which were then sent to depots to supply the  manufacturers who then turned the bright red berries into Rose Hip Syrup.  This syrup was highly prized as a source of vitamin C in those dark war years when all foods were in short supply.

The government of the day, through the Ministry of Food issued the recipe for home use, the exact recipe as follows:-

Recipe for 2 pounds (900 gm) of rose hips

Method:

• Boil 3 pints (1.7 litres) of boiling water.
• Mince hips in a course mincer (food processor) and put immediately into the boiling water
• Bring to boil an them place aside for 15 minutes
• Pour into a flannel or linen crash jelly bag and allow to drip until the bulk of the liquid has come through
• Return the residue to the saucepan, add 1 1/2 pints (852 ml) of boiling water, stir and allow to stand for 10 minutes
• Pour back into the jelly bag and allow to drip
• To make sure all the sharp hairs are removed put back the first half cupful of liquid to drip through again
• Put the mixed juice into a clean saucepan and boil down until the juice measures about 1 1/2 pints (852 ml), then add 1 1/4 (560 gm) of sugar an boil for a further 5 minutes
• Pour into hot sterile bottles and seal at once.

Hints

If corks are used these should have been boiled for hour just previously and after insertion coated with melted paraffin wax

It is advisable to use small bottles as the syrup will not keep for more than a week or two once the bottle is opened

Store in a dark cupboard

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Much the same recipe could be made today.  Until the 1970s it was possible to buy Delrosa Rose Hip Syrup which could be give to small children either diluted with warm water in a feeding bottle, or administered by teaspoon.   Most children loved it, and it kept them free of cold in the winter months.

In James Wong’s  book ‘Grow Your Own Drugs’ he recommends Rose hip Syrup as a vitamin booster, the recipe is similar to the the one above but he adds cloves and cinnamon as an optional extra.

It is possible to make a jam using equal quantities as the fruit and sugar.

Finally, an easy way to use the hips is to make Rose Hip tea. Quite simply wash the hips, chop or mince, spread out to dry, then store in air tight containers. To make the tea, use about a teaspoon of the dried hips, add boiling water and leave to stand for about 5 minutes. Strain carefully.

However you choose to use the hips straining through muslin is essential to rid the mixture of the hairy seeds.