Every rose, whether shrub, climbing, noble, ground cover, hedge or wild rose, produces rose hips from its fertilized flowers. But what are the characteristics of rose hips, when do they mature and what can you do with them?

The nuts are the real fruits

The rosehip is a so-called aggregate fruit. The actual fruits are the small, yellowish nuts, which are located under the shell and in the middle of the fruit pulp. They are provided with numerous barbed bristles and cause itching when they come into contact with the skin.

No one-size-fits-all look - diversity reigns instead

There is no such thing as THE rosehip. Rose hips vary greatly in shape, size and color. From variety to variety, they can be between 1 and 5 cm in size, ovoid to flat-spherical in shape and orange to crimson in colour.

When are the rose hips ripe and ready to harvest?

The rose blossoms are replaced by the rose hips. Very few rose hips mature in September. They usually reach maturity between October and November.

If they have not been eaten beforehand, they can be harvested throughout autumn and into spring of the following year. In the course of this time they slowly dry up on the bush.

The taste of the rose hips

Rose hips taste best after frost has passed them. Then they are sweet and sour, spicy and soft in their consistency. The pulpy pulp and skin are edible. The nuts it contains are hard and should not be consumed in large quantities. In general, the later the rose hips are harvested, the sweeter they are.

Versatile uses

Oil can be obtained from the nuts. They can also be used to propagate the plant. The rose hips themselves can be used as bird food, eaten raw or processed. The following delicacies can be created from them, for example:

  • puree
  • jam
  • juice
  • Wine
  • liqueur
  • tea

tips and tricks

The best time to eat the fruit raw is when the rosehip's red skin is translucent and springs to the touch. From the bush to your mouth: carefully squeeze out the fruit pulp at the end of the stem so that the nuts remain in the shell and enjoy.

KKF

Category:

Vegetable garden