Seeing Red: Rose Hips
January 6, 2010
Seeing Red, photo by Kiley_Evanne.
One of my favorite books as a kid was My Side of the Mountain. In it, the teenaged hero Sam Gribley learns how to feed himself and survive in the woods. Inspired by Sam’s example, I got as far as being able to identify rose hips, the red-orange fruit of the rose plant.
When snowshoeing or skiing in the winter, I like to snack on these when I find them. This article about gathering rose hips begins:
Known mostly for beauty in the garden and as a floral declaration of love, roses don’t usually come to mind when we think of either food or nutrition. Yet, all parts of the rose, and especially the hips, are storehouses of Vitamin C and other important nutrients.
Compare the nutritional content of oranges to rose hips and you will find that rose hips contain 25 percent more iron, 20 to 40 percent more Vitamin C (depending upon variety), 25 times the Vitamin A, and 28 percent more calcium.
They’re also a great source of bioflavanoids, pectin, Vitamin E, selenium, manganese, and the B-complex vitamins. Read on for suggestions about gathering and drying them. The BBC has an article about Rose-hips as a possible remedy for arthritis that you might enjoy as well. One tip: you have to leave the blossoms on the rose bush for hips to fully develop.
Check it out bigger or in Kiley’s slideshow.
January 6, 2010 at 10:16 am
nice & informative blog.
thanks.
January 6, 2010 at 11:06 am
I loved My Side of the Mountain when I was little! I also wanted to be an outdoor survivor after reading it, but I never made it past just reading the book.
We just moved from Toledo and I really miss that part of the country. We spent lots of our free time in Michigan when we lived there (Traverse City, Detroit, Ann Arbor…regrettably, I never got up to the UP). Anyway, I’m so glad your blog was featured because now I can get my daily dose of Michigan!
January 6, 2010 at 11:17 am
very beautiful shot, thank you for share
January 6, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Lovely photo. Rose hips are a good snack while out hiking or snowshoeing in the winter, too.
January 6, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Beautiful Picture. beautifully written. made me an the tea my mom forced me to drink when I was little. I guess she was on to something. And so are you.
If you are interested you cna check out my blog, http://www.psychobabble4u.com, 4 therapy on the fly….
have a great day.
Cori
January 6, 2010 at 3:45 pm
great pic – captivating
January 6, 2010 at 3:52 pm
Wow! I don’t think they grown in the UK, if they do I’ve not seen them :P
Awesome picture, great blog! :)
January 6, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Really cool, I’ve read abook thattalked about the benefits as well.
My mum always told me that ‘those red things on the bush’ were poisonous.
^^
January 6, 2010 at 4:43 pm
This blog is amazing. Michigan has never been as beautiful as it is in these photographs, and I’ve lived here my entire life.
I’m looking forward to seeing more ( :
http://kjcornell.wordpress.com/
January 6, 2010 at 4:44 pm
These look like delicious cherry tomatoes, which I must now get to incorporate into my dinner plans.
Beautiful photo.
http://www.bellabroccoli.wordpress.com
January 6, 2010 at 5:35 pm
My Side of the Mountain was the best! So was The Other Side of the Mountain. I’ve never actually harvested rose hips, but the Scandinavians make rosehip soup and I personally LOVE rosehip and hibiscus tea.
Are you going to pick any and eat them?
January 6, 2010 at 7:26 pm
I’ve actually never had eaten rose hips before. Now with the info, the extra iron would be good for me since i’m a vegetarian. Thanks for the info.
January 6, 2010 at 11:48 pm
nice pic!
January 7, 2010 at 1:39 am
A beautiful pic!
The rose hips look yummy… (I haven’t seen nor eaten one)
January 7, 2010 at 6:18 am
Rose hip syrup was a must for babies because of its
vitamin contents – I don’t see it much in the shops now. I am a Flower Designer and always have pair of secateurs in my pocket – rose hips being high on my list when out walking
January 7, 2010 at 9:56 am
Wow. Greatly appreciate this. SO glad you are featured on WordPress today!