Friday, November 13, 2015

How to Make a {Vitamin C-Rich} Rose Hip Syrup


"In Britain, during World War II, wild rose hips were harvested to make a vitamin C supplement for children."

Rose hip syrup sounded so old fashioned that I could not wait to prepare some (I imagine that Marilla had bottles lined up neatly in her pantry).  Of course, the vitamin C boost in the winter months was also an obvious reason! Immune building foods are wonderful to incorporate into your daily routine and who doesn't like a sweet syrup?  


You will need:
  • 2 c. fresh or frozen rose hips (if using dried, 1 cup should work)
  • 2 c. water
  • 1/2 c. sugar  * (approx. depending on final liquid amount)
  • 5 cloves (optional)
  • 1 cinnamon stick (optional)

This yields approximately 1/2 cup so you will want to double the recipe for a larger amount. We have found this floral syrup to be very sweet so a little does goes a long way!

*Note: If you are going to refrigerate the syrup right away, you can use half the amount of sugar called for in the recipe - or you could use honey, maple syrup or any other sweetener of choice.


To begin, crush the rose hips slightly and place in a small sauce pan (mine were frozen so I just let them be without crushing). Add the 2 cups of water (and spices if you are going to use them). Simmer this for 20 minutes, uncovered.


The next step is to strain the liquid into a glass measuring cup (you should have about 1/2 cup). Now you need to add the same amount of sugar as there is liquid back into the sauce pan. Stir ingredients together until dissolved and bring it back to a boil. Finally, simmer this for 10 minutes. 


Your syrup is almost finished! All you need to do is filter it one more time into the container of your choice:

  • If you are going to use it right away, store it in a glass jar in the refrigerator for a week or so.
  • If you are going to make larger batches for the pantry, simply sterilize some bottles (the dishwasher can do this for you or simmer them in boiling water for 10 minutes) and place a cork on them (the cork will keep the bottle from exploding if the product ferments a bit). This syrup will keep unopened in your pantry for one year.

This recipe was inspired by James Wong of Grow Your Own Drugs.  He recommends giving children 2 tsp. a day by using it in place of maple syrup or mixing with water. You can also stir this into teas to sweeten and enrich them.  Our favorite way to use rose hip syrup is to drizzle some into sparkling water for a vitamin C-rich herbal soda. One tsp. per 8 oz. glass of sparkling water and 2 tsp. for a nice tall glass works great!


If you are interested in learning how to forage, harvest and preserve rose hips yourself, visit here! We will be sharing more recipes shortly as a part of our "Home Apothecary Series". We also hope to have you share your recipes when we host our "rose hips link up" within the next month or so. 



29 comments:

  1. This is a lovely idea. A few years ago I was able to harvest some rose hips from a nearby wilderness area. I dried them and used them for tea, and I found that the rose hip tea worked much better than Vitamin C out of a bottle for fending off colds. Also, I used the last of my rosehips (again as tea) to heal myself of a bladder infection. I wish I could have harvested some more, but both this year and last, some other person beat me to the wild ones. I suppose I need to plant some roses of my own.

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    1. How fortunate to have wild ones nearby! And glad to hear of the results with the bladder infection! I will keep that in mind... And I agree with the help with colds, as soon as I feel it coming on I started taking my rose hips tincture (and for allergies too)... It is wonderful!

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  2. Sadly we just discovered maggots in the rose hips I had been drying :-( However, I am glad to see your mention of James Wong's book, as I just noticed it in the library here last week, and wondered if it would be helpful. Hopefully I will have more success with next year's rose hips, so I am pinning this for future reference!

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    1. Too bad!!! I freeze mine which is really easy... Perhaps you can try that next time.... And like you said, there is always next year! :)

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    2. I sure could use some of that right now. All my boys have colds and I have a slight sore throat starting. I was just telling my hubby we needed to go gather some rose hips and then I read your post. How funny is that?
      I'm making this soon (like I all ready should of)
      Thanks for sharing Jes! Have a lovely weekend!
      Hugs, Amy

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    3. Oh dear! If you have elderberry on hand, I would start dosing with that too... Hope you all feel better soon! :)

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  3. A wonderful post JES! As you know, I love rose hips, and I hope to be able to plant my own roses this spring, and have many more this next fall to enjoy. I will look forward to your rose hip link up for sure!

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    1. Thank you! And I hope you share your informative rose hip post when we do! :)

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  4. Hello Jes, When I was little we would bring them in and Mother would boil them in water with sugar and use as a syrup. It is funny as I read this post I remembered that...
    Hugs, Roxy

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    1. What a sweet memory! Thank you for sharing Roxy :)

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  5. I'll be trying your recipe asap. We are already try to ward off another round of colds. I've watched several of James Wong's videos on YouTube and really enjoy them. Very knowledgeable fellow.
    At first I thought we had the same flatware. Mine is a single rose, also, Arbor Rose by Oneida. Just curious what yours is called? Have a great weekend!

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    1. Huh... I am trying to jot my memory on the silverware name! I love it and tried adding more a while back but it is no longer available. It was made by Reed and Barton. I did look up yours and it is very similar! You have good taste! :)

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  6. Thank you for sharing! I think you help keep allot of us ladies on our toes by beautifully demonstrating the old-fashioned remedies. Made my elderberry syrup this year, but have never made rose-hip syrup. We have enjoyed rose-hip tea.
    Blessings,
    Leslie

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    1. You are too sweet! :) Actually for variation, you can also substitute 1/2 the elderberries in your syrup recipe for the rose hips and you will have a nice blend of cold fighting fruits. The rose hips tea is excellent too! Thank you for sharing Leslie :)

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  7. This is truly far too precious, I do know the redoubted proprties of rose hips, they're one of the most useful gifts God has presented us in Nature !

    I wanted you to know that I have made your soup ( the half of the entire dose, we're not so many in our family, alas ) and we all have found it so tasty and inviting, thank you darling JES for it too !
    Sending blessings on your weekend
    Dany

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    1. Oh, so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to visit Dany! :)

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  8. I can't wait to try this! I gathered some wild rose hips this fall so I could use them in tea. This recipe sounds like a better idea. Questions: 1. to store in sterilized bottles, I assume you pour the syrup in while it is hot? 2. If using honey, is the measurement the same? 3. My rose hips are smaller than yours, but I assume the 2 cup measurement is the same regardless? Thanks again - you are such a wealth of valuable information!

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    1. Hi Vickie, It was a fun little project! :) To answer your questions...

      1. I would pour the syrup in while the bottles are hot and the syrup is hot to keep everything sterile (but that is just me, James Wong doesn't mention the need for this).

      2. I can't vouch for the honey in the *pantry storage* recipe but if you follow what I do in canning, you would reduce the honey by 25% because it is more sweeter and it is a liquid. However, this is not mentioned in the original recipe. Just DIY common sense so that is up to you to decide. If for the fridge then there is obviously no problem how much you put.

      3. I would assume the weight would be the same as long as the 2 cups were filled but if you have a small scale, you can weigh out 250 grams to be on the precise side.

      Hope this helps! :)

      Happy wildcrafting!

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  9. This sounds so wonderfully old-fashioned. The old remedies certainly have something going for them. I recall watching the James Wong programme sometime ago and found it to be really interesting.
    Angela x

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    1. I love that these herbs are so absorbable! Our bodies recognize them unlike many synthetic vitamins! :)

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  10. JES, I recall giving my children commercial rosehip syrup when they were babies. It's not longer available...I don't know why. I'll be trying this for sure. Thanks for sharing at Five Star Frou-Frou. Love, Mimi xxx

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  11. Thank you for sharing at the Homestead Blog Hop!

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  12. What can you do with the rosehips after they've been simmered etc, if anything?

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    1. Hi there! You can always add hot water to the leftover and try and get a pitcher of tea with it. Add in some citrus slices for extra flavor... After that, it will indeed be "spent" and you can compost them ;)

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  13. Hello!

    thank you for such a beautifully composed and thorough covering of rose hips. I discovered many rose hips in my new yard yesterday and am eager to make a children's (and adult) rose hip syrup to give out for the holidays. I have two questions for you :) <3
    1. Which do you recommend- to freeze or to dehydrate- the hips now to use in a syrup making just before I gift them in December?
    2. If I sterilize jars and cork them using maple syrup instead of sugar- I intend to recommend the syrup be used regularly throughout the winter, will it keep if being opened often? Does it need to be stored in the fridge?

    Thank you so much for your help I am so excited to explore a new way of using rose medicine!

    -Alexa

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    1. HI there,
      1. I don't think it matters... Whichever is easier..
      2. Being that maple syrup itself requires refrigeration after opening then I would suggest it too would need to be and therefore it would not be shelf stable.

      Hope this helps!

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  14. Hello! I am newer to the world of herbalism and loving every second of it! The Lord drew me to your page and boy am I grateful =) I was always under the impression that vitamin c is heat sensitive and is destroyed at higher temps? Wondering if it would be possible to get around that? Would love to hear your thoughts. Your website is beautiful and I just LOVE your etsy shop name. The moment I read it I knew you were the real deal ;)

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    1. How kind of you to say! As far as the heating of the vitamin C goes... I'm not sure about that but I do know this is the method most herbalists use for extracting the properties from the less delicate herbs (i.e., roots and thicker seeds like this)... I believe it's called making a decoction. If you'd like to try a method to glean the vitamin c without heat, I'd recommend making a tincture using either raw apple cider vinegar or vodka (I have a post on making tinctures also). And because this is a "thicker" herb, I would blend the liquid with the herb first before letting it infuse to get all the properties from it. Make sure to strain well at the end as there is itchy stuff inside the rose hips which you wouldn't want to swallow. I hope you enjoy your journey into natural remedies. It is so fun!

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