Our first snow fell this week in Homer, reminding us all that winter waits for no woman to finish up their fall to-do lists! So while the flakes came down, we ventured up a favorite trail to gather rose hips to steep into immune-boosting tea and to string into festive garlands for cozy season.
Rose hips, the bright-red fruit of the wild rose bush, are best harvested after the first frost. They are tart and have a fleshy rind surrounding white seeds, which soften and sweeten after the frost hits. They’re a plentiful source of vitamin C (20 to 40 percent more than an orange!) and also rich in iron, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin E, selenium, and B vitamins. Rose hips were historically consumed during fall’s cold and flu season and also to prevent and treat scurvy. Today, they are often used for tea, jelly, syrups, and baked goods in Alaska. They also make beautiful decorations for the fall harvest table, or dried and strung into a garland to hang in your home (or outside for the birds!). If you have a copy of The Salmon Sisters: Harvest & Heritage, turn to page 162 and 211 for best practices on gathering, making tea, freezing, drying and making garlands with rose hips – or, if you’re a paid subscriber, read on!
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Salmon Sisters to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.