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."

~ The Complete Illustrated Book of Herbs by Reader's Digest

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. 

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