Published on Dec 15, 2020 | Last updated on Jan 2, 2023
After sharing on Instagram about my first trials making Rose Hip Syrup, you asked me if I could share the recipe with you… well, of course I can! Rose hip syrup is super easy to make, and very nutritious too as rose hips are incredibly rich in vitamin C! Thus, I couldn’t be happier to share with you my own version of how to make this delicious and medicinal syrup.
Harvesting Rose Hips
So far, I have only worked with Dog Rose hips (Rosa canina) for syrup. As always, it is important to know how to identify wild edible plants and fruits correctly, so make sure you learn about Rosa canina before you start collecting her berry-like hips. If you are unsure about how Dog Rose looks like, this website is a good place to start.
Here in Portugal, the fruits start to be ready for harvest in late September. However, the best time to harvest them is after the first frost, which for us in Portugal usually means waiting a couple of weeks more, depending on where we live in the country.
My latest bottle of syrup was made with rose hips harvested in the beginning of December in the region of Foz Côa, and the hips were so much sweeter than in September! Their colour was not bright orange anymore, but more like a dark red, and many looked a bit wrinkled too. Some were already fermented, so I avoided those. Also ignored the super dark ones that were too burned by the cold and dry inside. To avoid harvesting unripe hips, my favourite method is to listen to Rosa by gently pulling the hip and seeing if she releases herself easily. If not, I simply move on to the next hip.
Something important to mention is that I like to spread my foraging activity over a large area to include different shrubs and I only harvest a fraction of the hips of each Rosa canina, to leave plenty behind for birds and other animals who depend on them during Winter. I also like to ask for permission – which can be as simple as taking the time to connect with Rosa and carefully observe if that particular shrub is healthy and abundant enough to be harvested from as well as if this is the only individual in the area – and in the end I like to say thank you to show my appreciation for the gift offered (we can also go a step forward and ask/check how we can help that particular shrub/community to thrive).
If you’d like to know more about ethical foraging, I found this page on responsible foraging guidelines particularly helpful and straight to the point.
Rose Hip Syrup Recipe
This recipe is based on The Spruce Eats‘ recipe, with a few adjustments. I managed to fill a big glass bottle (as seen in the last photo)!
Ingredients
- 2 cups with rose hips
- 4 cups of water
- aprox. 1,3 cup of muscovado (or brown) sugar
Method
- Wash your rose hips thoroughly;
- Remove the stems and flower remnants, and cut the rose hips in half;
- Place the rose hips in a pot and cover them with 2 cups of water;
- Bring the rose hips to a boil, then remove from heat and allow to steep for 30 minutes;
- Strain the rose hips with a piece of clean cloth or a jelly bag (I went with the clean cloth and it worked fine);
- Add the rose hip pulp back to the pot, add the other 2 cups of water and repeat the previous steps of steeping and straining the liquid;
- In a clean pot, pour your rose hip tea and add the sugar. Feel free to experiment with the sugar quantity to adapt to your personal taste. Bring it back to a boil while mixing and it’s done!
- Sterilize the glass bottle (including lids/corks) with boiling water;
- Pour your syrup into your bottle with the help of a funnel (also sterilized).
There you go! You’ve made delicious Rose Hip Syrup! Delight yourself with this drink from the gods, and in case you find it too concentrated, you can always add a little bit of water to your cup to dilute it ♥︎
I hope you enjoyed this recipe and that this syrup gives you an extra boost during the colder Winter months. If you give it a try, please share it with me in the comment section bellow or else tag me on instagram! I’d love to know how it goes and how you liked it♥︎
Last but not least, if you’ve enjoyed this, make sure to check out my other recipes, such as:
- Delicious Homemade Elderflower Cordial Recipe
- How to make White Crowberries’ Jelly (Camarinhas)
- Homemade Blackberry Jam (no sugar | no pectin)
- How to make Black Mulberry Jam
Much love and take care, Filipa 🍂
FAQs
Rosehip syrup recipe
Traditionally the hips are boiled with sugar and water, but I prefer this 'raw' syrup for maximum goodness and flavour. It is like the best Turkish delight you ever had, crossed with the tang of tropical fruits like mango and lychee.
How much rosehip syrup per day? ›
For health benefits take one 5ml teaspoon per day (a months supply per bottle).
How to make rose hips at home? ›
Cut them in half and scrape out the seeds and hair using a butter knife or small spoon. Rinse the halved hips and lay them on a dry tea towel to remove excess water. To store rosehips, it's best to dry them thoroughly using a dehydrator, low temperature oven, or air dry method.
What does rose hip syrup taste like? ›
Rosehips are, of course, a fruit the same family as apples in fact and this classic autumn hedgerow syrup has a unique and lovely flavour: warm, floral and fruity.
Is rosehip syrup good for arthritis? ›
Rosehip Benefits
A review of these studies shows that people who took the supplement had less pain after 3 months compared to a placebo (dummy pill). A few studies show that rosehip may also help people with long-term back pain and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
What are the disadvantages of rosehip oil? ›
While rosehip oil is generally considered safe for most people, there are a few potential side effects to be aware of. Some people may experience skin irritation, redness, or a rash when using Rosehip oil. It's also possible to have an allergic reaction to the oil, which can cause itching or hives.
Can you eat too many rose hips? ›
If eaten in excess, the most common side effects of rose hips may include stomach issues, nausea, and heartburn.
What are the side effects of rose hips? ›
Rose hips from Rosa canina are safe to eat as food and likely to take as a supplement, even in higher doses. The most common side effects are digestive upset, including nausea, stomach cramps or pain, and diarrhea. Theoretically, the high vitamin C content in rose hips could lead to kidney stones.
Are rose hips a laxative? ›
In Europe and America, rosehip is processed widely into jam and juice, used as a vitamin C supplement, in cosmetics, and as a folklore drug in the form of tisane. The functional capacities of rosehip includes efficacy on diuresis, as a laxative, and as treatments for gout and rheumatism.
Is rosehip good for high blood pressure? ›
Rose hips are also high in flavonoids. These antioxidants have been shown to reduce blood pressure in people with elevated levels and improve blood flow to the heart ( 17 ).
After the first frost of the year, the rose hips will ripen. Once the petals have dropped off, the hip is ready for picking. They should be red in colour and soft to the touch. Don't pick the shrivelled ones.
Does rose Hip make you sleepy? ›
Rose hip can cause some side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn, stomach cramps, fatigue, headache, inability to sleep, and others. Inhaling rose hip dust can cause an allergic reaction in some people.
Why is my rosehip syrup cloudy? ›
Don't be tempted to squeeze the liquid out of the fruit as this will cause the syrup to become cloudy. When all the liquid has passed through the bag, put it into a clean pan, bring to the boil and reduce it to about 2½ pints (1.5l). Then add sugar to taste.
Is rose hips a blood thinner? ›
Rose hip might slow blood clotting. Taking rose hip along with medications that also slow blood clotting might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding. Warfarin is used to slow blood clotting. Rose hip contains vitamin C.
Is rosehip syrup healthy? ›
The no cook, raw nature of this recipe means that the precious vitamin C levels are not destroyed by heat. The resulting syrup is a natural remedy and delicacy rolled into one. It's a potent natural antioxidant and has been traditionally used to ward off colds and flu.
Why were children given rosehip syrup? ›
Rosehip syrup became very popular during rationing in WWII. The lack of oranges as a source of vitamin C was a problem for England but this was solved by the introduction of rosehip syrup.
What is the active ingredient in rosehip? ›
Rosehip is also high in folate and contains vitamins A, B3, D and E along with flavonoids, carotenoids, betasitosterol, fructose, malic acid, tannins, magnesium, zinc, copper and numerous other phytochemicals including recently characterised galactolipids.
Does rosehip have side effects? ›
Rose hips from Rosa canina are safe to eat as food and likely to take as a supplement, even in higher doses. The most common side effects are digestive upset, including nausea, stomach cramps or pain, and diarrhea. Theoretically, the high vitamin C content in rose hips could lead to kidney stones.
