Rosehip tea is a delicious, refreshing, fruity wild tea that is super easy to make. It's good for you, and it's free if you can forage the rosehips in your garden or nearby.
What are rosehips?
Rosehips are the fruit of the wild rose. Wild roses, or dog roses are simple single flowers, usually a beautiful pink or white in colour. They are often grown in gardens because as well as the flowers, the deep red rosehips are very attractive.
Health benefits of rosehips
Rosehips are a very good source of vitamin C, and they also contain other beneficial plant compounds and essential fatty acids. Extract of rosehip is sold as a herbal remedy for arthritis as it is a powerful anti inflammatory. If you make your own tea from fresh or frozen rosehips, it will contain more antioxidants than a teabag made with dried fruits. However, you won't be getting the full effect that you'd have from a rosehip extract.
I usually enjoy rosehip tea during the cold season, and I find a warm mug of tea is soothing to a sore throat.
Read more here about the health benefits of rosehip tea.
Harvesting
Rosehips are very quick and easy to harvest. Although I've often read to pick them after the first frost, I usually pick some when they are ripe at the end of September as they often wizen up later. Use pruning shears or snippers to cut the hips off the branches.
If you don't have this type of rose in your garden, rosehips can often be found in hedgerows. Of course, wear gloves so that you don't get pricked by the thorns.
How to store or preserve rosehips
Fresh rosehips will have the most nutrients. But I also freeze them. I simply pop them in a bag in the freezer, and take them out as I need them. Freezing is much easier than drying rosehips, and preserves more of the nutrients.
Ingredients
All you'll need to make a pot of tea is a few rosehips. If you want the tea to be a little sweeter, just add a teaspoon of honey.
Equipment
I think it's best to make rosehip tea in a teapot, as you'll need to strain it. You can use a fine tea strainer. But you could improvise with a heatproof bowl or jug and a sieve.
How to make rosehip tea
Place about 8-10 rosehips in the pot and cover with boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes.
I then like the squish the hips with a fork to extract more of the goodness. It's important to strain the tea as the hips are broken open. That way you'll avoid the little hairs inside the fruit that surround the seeds.
You can enjoy rosehip tea hot or chilled in the summer. Make it a little stronger for iced rosehip tea as the flavour will be less pronounced when it is chilled.
Frequently ask questions
You really don't need to! Just give them a quick rinse if necessary and pop them in the teapot. If you want to enjoy the tea at other times of the year, freeze them.
All rosehips are edible and can be used for tea. However, the rosehips from the dog rose are the most flavoursome. The hips on the Japanese Rosa Rugosa are very large and round and a little less concentrated.
Yes, it's best to remove the seeds as they may have some irritating hairs on them. The easiest way to do this is to put the rosehips in the pot whole and strain the seeds out with a tea strainer.
Other healthy drinks
Why not try making some other healthy drinks or wild teas at home? Nettle and mint tea and this elderflower tea recipe are very easy to make. If you grow your own strawberries, you can make strawberry leaf tea for free.
Or try some quick elderberry cordial. You might be able to forage most of the ingredients for free!
Recipe
How to Make Rosehip Tea
Equipment
- Teapot or heatproof jug or bowl
- Strainer
Ingredients
- 8-10 rosehips washed
- 400 ml boiling water
Instructions
- Add the rosehips to a teapot. Cover with 400 ml boiling water.
- Steep for 10 minutes.
- Squeeze the rosehips against the side of the teapot with a fork to extract more of the flavour.
- Strain before drinking.
Donna says
I dry mine, keep them in paper brown bags in the freezer. When I get ready to make tea , I put rose hip in a ziplock bag, get the air out and break them with a wooden hammer. I boil water and add the tea, after 10 min it’s ready , if I use a big tea pot I use it again and tea is great.
Wendy Faulkner says
Good tip thank you. I just pop the whole hips (straight from the bush) in the freezer and take out a few at a time. Remember if you break up the hips that you'll need to make sure the tea is well strained so that the little hairs are removed:)
Jess says
Rosehips seeds are covered in tiny hairs which can irritate your throat and digestive system so you should always strain thru a fine muslin cloth if you are not removing these prior to use xxx
Wendy Faulkner says
Hi, thanks for your tip Jess. I strain my rosehip tea through a fine tea strainer, but a muslin cloth would be great too.
Leanne says
Do you cut the rosehip or let it steep whole?
Wendy Faulkner says
Hi, I steep them whole, but I squeeze them against the side of the pot once they've steeped for a few minutes to extract the most flavour.