I’ve always loved foraging. When New Zealand went into covid-19 lockdown in April 2020, I’d take my pocket guide of edible plants on strolls around town. I soon discovered Dunedin’s autumn bounty of blackberries, heritage-variety apples, onionweed, plantain, and dandelion. But my personal favourite came from the scraggly rosebushes. Forget about paying a fortune for vitamin C supplements at the chemist! Rosehips skins are like lollies with a healthy dose of vitamins to boot. Plus, once they’ve dried, they keep for ages.

Health Benefits of Rosehips

You’ve probably heard of rosehip tea and ‘rosehip oil’ that can be applied topically to fade scars and pigmentation. Rosehips are incredibly high in vitamin C: a 16-gram serve gives you 76% of the recommended daily intake! Rosehips also have carotenoids and smaller quantities of vitamins A, B5, and E. But rather than relying on trace amounts in tea or expensive supplements, why not get full benefit of this superfood for free by simply following these easy steps?

Otago has an abundance of wild roses which are a great source of rosehips during autumn-winter. I spotted these frozen beauties whilst cycling the Otago Rail Trail.

Materials

• Rosehips (spray-free)
• A collection bag/container
• Small, sharp knife (a fruit & vege knife is fine)
• Large bowl
• Colander or wide mesh sieve to rinse the rosehips
• Paper towels
• Sushi mat (optional, useful for drying)
• Glass jar

How to dry rosehips

Step 1: Collection

• Find the right rosebush: avoid bushes that may have been sprayed with pesticide/fungicide in prior months, and those near busy roads that are contaminated by pollutants
• Cut off rosehips & collect them in a bag or container
• Choose blood-red, fresh, shiny rosehips. Steer-clear of any discolouration, chalkiness, or rosehips that are squishy or shrivelled

Step 2: De-seeding

• Put rosehips in the colander and rinse thoroughly to eliminate contaminants
• Cut off ~2mm from each end of the rosehip with a knife. I used a pocket knife for this step. This is the riskiest part, so watch your fingers!
• Cut along the side of the rosehip, then split it in half
• Use the tip of the knife to scoop out the hairy seeds
• Discard seeds, place rosehip skins in a bowl
• Do not touch your eyes during this process, since rosehip hairs are extremely irritating

Step 3: Rinsing & drying

Once you know the process, drying rosehip skins is fairy simple. Sit them on a sunny windowsill for a few days. The main thing you want to avoid is mould growth, so the quicker they dry the better.

• Rinse skins in the colander several times to wash away hairs from the seeds. You can also submerge the skins and let the hairs float to the surface
• Shake off water, pad your rosehip skins with a paper towel
• Lie the skins on a paper towel or sushi mat to dry
• Place them where there is good air flow, preferably in the sun (or you could use a dehumidifier for this step)
• Feeling hungry? You can totally eat rosehips raw, so feel free to have a taste
• Let the rosehip skins dry until they are dark, curled, and hard at the touch (I put mine on my window ledge and they took about 2-3 days)
• Cover them with a light cloth at night to stop them getting dusty
• Discard any squishy skins
• Once you are 100% sure the skins are dry, put them in a jar with a lid… and enjoy! Discard any rosehips that are distasteful.

Read more

• Top 10 things to do in Dunedin
• Cycling Otago Rail Trail: Dunedin to Middlemarch
• The hilarious moa hoax
• A quick travel guide: Picton to Invercargill
• Town slogans of the North Island, NZ