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Tuesday, October 07, 2014

Seed collecting - rosehips

We've been gathering our garden seeds - each year we try to harvest some of our favourite varieties to plant again next year, but also seeds that can be used in teas and cooking over the winter (e.g. rosehips, dill, fennel, coriander).  I find the rosehips especially beautiful, and bountiful this year.  They are rich in vitamin C and can be made into tinctures, tonics, syrups and teas, or cooked into healthful jam (yum!).  Rosehips can be gathered fresh (as long as they are fully formed) and dried in baskets or on screens in a well-ventilated area. 

Special note to update my harvesting information - rosehips are sweetest if they are harvested right after the first frost, so can be harvested off the bushes at that point.  If they are shriveled or brown they are past their prime so only harvest the bright red brilliant looking hips.  



1 comment:

  1. I've been tempted by the rosehips on offer in the hedgerows, I want to make a syrup. But curious about whether to wait til after first frosts? As that is what I have been told? Lovely photos, I am coveting your woven basket!

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