Rose hips - They are tasty, healthy and dried they can be stored for a long time. But should they rather be dried in the oven, dehydrator or in the air? Below you will find out which methods are preferable and how drying can be successful.

Harvest at the right time

First of all, the rose hips should be harvested at the right time. At best, the harvest should be started at the end of October at the earliest. The fruit does not noticeably lose quality until December. Later there is a high risk that they will start to ferment, rot or have already been eaten by birds.

Whole fruit or chopped?

The rose hips can be dried whole or chopped. It is recommended to chop large fruits. This causes them to dry faster. The rose hips should be washed beforehand. If you haven't already done so, you should also remove the handle.

With or without cores?

If the rose hips are picked when they are soft, the preparation for drying will be much faster. The reason: in the soft state, the seeds contained can be easily removed from the surrounding pulp.

If you later want to use the rose hips to make tea, you do not have to remove the seeds. Just like the pulp, they are extremely rich in vitamins. They also contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The fruit is cut lengthwise to remove the pits. Then the cores can be scraped out.

Where and how is it dried?

You can use the following devices for drying: dehydrator, oven, heater. In addition, rose hips can be dried in the open air. To do this, spread them out on newspaper or a baking sheet. An air-dry room, the balcony or the terrace are ideal for this.

If you want to dry the rose hips in the dehydrator or in the oven, do not set the temperature higher than 40 °C. If it is hotter, enzymes and vitamins are destroyed and the rose hips lose their health value. In the oven, you should leave the oven door open a crack. This allows the moisture to escape.

The following must be observed:

  • Turn rose hips regularly
  • it is better to let it dry longer than too short (reduce the risk of mold formation)
  • the hotter, the faster they dry
  • Store in an airtight container after drying

Uses for dried rose hips

Now the rose hips can be preserved and stored for several months. When dried, they are suitable for the following purposes, among others:

  • tea
  • fruit flour e.g. B. for (baby) porridge, pudding
  • smoothie
  • sauces
  • Added to animal feed, for example for dogs
  • decorative purposes in autumn and winter

tips and tricks

The seeds of the rose hips can often simply be pulled out by the former part of the flower, to which brown to black and dried-up stamens tend to adhere.

KKF

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Vegetable garden