Hi everyone!  

I recently received a small bush that just pumps out rose hips. Big, beautiful bunches of red berries.

So - what do I do with them? How do I use them? How DON'T I use them? I'm under the assumption they're toxic to eat right off the bush, but full of vitamin C with a pleasantly sweet kind of citrus tinge to them.

I tried looking for information via the search function here on ODSS and got very confused  

Nice to be back -
realeyez

Wb RE !

I'm not sure what to tell you...maybe look up a certified herbal site and see what they say...or find an herbalist in your area?

I AM the herbalist for my area.

To the books!

From Gardening.About.com:

Rose hips are the seed pods of roses. We don�t often see them anymore, because we tend to prune the faded rose blossoms to encourage more flowers. However if you leave the spent flowers on the rose bush at the end of the season, you should see these small, berry-sized, reddish seed balls, left on tips of the stems. They are actually very ornamental and birds enjoy them too.

Are Rose Hips Edible?
Both rose hips and rose petals are edible. Roses are in the same family as apples and crabapples, so the resemblance of their fruits is not purely coincidental. Rose hips also have a bit of the tartness of crabapples and are a great source of vitamin C.
All roses should produce hips, although rugosa roses are said to have the best tasting hips. These are also generally the largest and most abundant.

Caution: Don�t use rose hips from plants that have been treated with a pesticide that is not labeled for use on edibles.


Harvesting Rose Hips
The best time to harvest rose hips is after the first frost. Frost helps sweeten the flavor. They should still be firm and have good color. Leave the shriveled or dried hips for the birds.
Waiting until after a frost is also good for the plant, since cutting the hips before frost could encourage the rose to send out new growth which would be killed back at the first frost.


How to Prepare Rose Hips
You can use whole, fresh rose hips, but the seeds inside have an irritating, hairy covering that it is recommended you remove prior to eating.
Trim off the stem and blossom ends. Hold the hip securely and slice it in half, then remove the inner seeds. You can do all of this trimming with a pair of scissors, if the hips are too small to use a knife on.

Now rinse off the hips and prepare as you choose.


What Can I Use Rose Hips For?
Rose hips make great jellies, sauces, soups and seasoning. To get a sense of the taste of rose hips, start out brewing your self a cup of tea.
Rose Hip Tea: You can use fresh or dried rose hips, for a simple rose hips tea. You�ll need about twice as many hips, if using fresh. For fresh rose hip tea, steep 4-8 hips in a cup of boiling water for about 10 - 15 minutes.

Shortcut: Rose hip tea is widely available in stores.

Cooking Tip: About� Home Cooking Guide advises not using aluminum pans or utensils that could discolor the hips. Aluminum also destroys their vitamin C. Stainless steel is fine.

Ok...so, starting I'll be starting immediately with the tea and jelly

Let me know how it turns out and make sure to wash wash wash if you're not sure if the plant has been treated with anything.

My favorite is rose hip wine.  Was introduced to it a few years ago, now we make our own.  I like a strong wooded chardonney, and a musky flavored white wine, so if you like this type of wine, you'll definitely like rose hip wine.