Our 5 Favorite Rose Hip Recipes

Rose hips have received a revival in recent years as people rediscover the vibrant red berries packed with vitamin C. While many blogs discuss the myriad health benefits of rose hips, we simply love their bright color and unique taste. Here are our favorite dishes and recipes that use rose hips as a main flavor.

Rose Hip Jams, Jellies, and Chutneys

Like cranberries and gooseberries, rose hips can have a slightly bitter taste, so instead of eating them raw, it’s best to mix them into dishes with sugar to balance out the flavor. Jams, jellies, and chutneys all require cooking down the rose hips to release their full flavor. While some recipes call for additional fruit ingredients, like apples or strawberries, our favorite rose hip jelly uses focuses on the distinctive rose hip flavor.

Ingredients:

6 cups rose hips

4 cups water

2 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 packet pectin

1/3 cup lemon juice (1 lemon)

3 to 4 8-ounce sterilized canning jars

Method:

Wash the rose hips, then cover them with water in a medium-sized sauce pan and simmer for about an hour, or until the rose hips are easily mashed by a potato masher. After mashing, strain out the liquid using a jelly bag or cheese cloth — you want to extract as much juice from the pulp as possible. Return the juice to the pan, add the lemon juice and pectin, and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the sugar, stir, boil for two minutes, then remove from heat, and ladle your jelly into your sterilized jars.

Rose Hip Tea

If you don’t have any fresh rose hips growing nearby, you don’t need to miss out on the rose hip phenomenon. Plenty of high-quality tea vendors sell rose hip tea for reasonable prices, so you can experience the joy of rose hips any time of year.

To steep rose hip tea, decide how strong you want your brew to be. While one tea bag will usually flavor about 6 ounces of water, you may want two or more bags to suit your taste. After you know how much flavor you prefer, boil your water in a kettle. When the water temperature cools to about 203 degrees Fahrenheit, you should steep your tea bags for four to six minutes. Then, remove the tea bags and enjoy your tea.

Rose Hip Muffins

Muffins are a delightful breakfast treat, but the familiar flavors can get old fast. If you like a splash of color in your morning meal as well as a healthy dose of vitamin C, try baking rose hips muffins for a fun taste experiment. Here’s a rose hip muffin recipe that perfectly balances the sweet taste of muffin with the tart bite of rose hips.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup oat bran

1/4 cup millet flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoon sweet rice flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1 egg yolk

3/4 Greek yogurt

Zest of 1 small lemon

1 cup cooked and strained rose hips

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar for about three minutes while you mix together the flours, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add the whole egg and yolk to the creamed butter, and stir until combined. Then, add the yogurt and lemon zest, and stir. Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet; when everything is combined, add the rose hips and stir, then pour the batter into greased muffin cups. Bake the muffins for about 10 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.

Rose Hip Ice Cream

Show me a person who doesn’t like ice cream, and I’ll show you a unicorn. No treat is more beloved by people around the world than smooth, rich, cold, and fulfilling ice cream. This dessert is fun if you’re four or forty, and making it can be a great group activity.

Ingredients:

3 cups water, divided

2 cups caster sugar

2 cups rose hips, roughly chopped

1 cup whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

Boil the water in a saucepan, and add the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil again, then remove from heat, and let the water infuse for 30 minutes. Strain the water with a jelly bag or cheese cloth, retaining the liquid in a bowl. Boil the rose hip pulp with the remaining cup of water, and repeat the infusing and straining process. Boil the strained liquid until it is reduced by half, then remove from heat and add the caster sugar. Boil again for 5 minutes. This is the syrup you will add to your ice cream.

Dissolve the remaining sugar in the whole milk, then add the heavy cream and vanilla. If you can, chill the mixture for an hour. Then, either add the mixture to your ice cream maker or churn the mixture in a bucket surrounded by ice and salt until soft ice cream forms. Pour this into a tub and freeze it until it sets. To make a ripple, drizzle the rose hip syrup into slightly firm ice cream and refreeze; alternatively, pour warm syrup over the ice cream and eat.

Rose Hip Soup

Another cool treat for a warm day — or a warm treat for a cool day, even — fruit soup is a sweet and tangy dish not common around the U.S. However, we enjoy making rose hip soup as a filling breakfast, quick snack, or satisfying dessert. This one is full-bodied with warm notes of vanilla and cinnamon to balance the tart rose hip taste.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups dried rose hips

6-8 cups of water

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 vanilla pod, split and scraped

1/4 cinnamon stick

Method:

Soak the rose hips in water overnight, then simmer with spices for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain or blend everything with a food processor. Add sugar and simmer until dissolved. Serve warm or cold, alone or accompanied by a sweet bread pudding.