Rose hips are located under the rose petals of some, but not all, rose varieties, and are seed-filled pods the size of a berry or tiny crabapple that appear on the tips of the stems. They can be red, yellow, orange, purple or black. Considered the fruit of a rose bush, rose hips are called a haw or hep. The “hips” form only in the summer after the flowers have been pollinated. They mature in late fall and are harvested with the first frost. Then, they're dried either in the sun or in commercial ovens or dehydrators until brittle.
Tart and fruity, rose hips are packed with vitamin C. Because of its fruity essence, rose hips work well for culinary applications with other fruits like rhubarb, cranberries, hibiscus, citrus or pears. Their tartness is indicative of their botanical cousins, apples and crabapples.
Rose hips makes a refreshing, healthful tea brewed in boiling water and steeped for several minutes.
The shrub rose species, rugosa roses, has the reputation for the best-tasting, most abundant, and largest hips.
