Rose hips are the seed pods of rose plants. They are usually red or orange, but they can also be purple or black. Rose hips, which ripen in the late summer and fall, remain on the plant after the rose blooms fade. Most gardeners don’t see rose hips because they prune faded rose blooms to encourage more flowers.
But if you leave the spent blooms on the rose bush at the end of the season, you should see tiny, reddish, berry-like fruits left on the tips of the stems. Though ornamental, these are edible and birds enjoy them.
Taste-wise, rose hips have a bit of the tartness of crab apples. They make great jellies, sauces, syrups, soups and even fruit leather.
Rose hips may be tiny, but they pack a nutritious punch. For starters, these false fruits are loaded with vitamin C. They also contain several antioxidants that are beneficial to your health, such as vitamin E, lycopene and beta-carotene. As such, rose hips have been linked to the following health benefits… Read more…
