How Do You Pick Rose Hips For Tea?
It’s sad to see the lovely roses of summer fade, but once their blooms are gone, rose bushes offer up another wonderful indulgence: rose hips. Classified as fruits, rose hips resemble tiny tomatoes and have a sweet, tart flavor similar to that of cranberries. Rose hips are also rich in vitamin C, plant sterols, carotenoids and anthocyanins, which, according to Vegetarian Nutrition, offer protection from ailments ranging from the flu to heart disease and cancer. Harvest the rose hips from your garden and whip up delicious teas to keep you warm and healthy until summer rolls around again. Wait for the rose hips to fully ripen before you harvest them, which is generally after the first frost. Ripe rose hips are deep or bright red. Put on your gardening gloves to protect your hands from thorns. Pick rose hips one at a time. They bruise and squish easily, so do not pull them off roughly or in bunches. Grip the rose hip with your thumb, index finger and forefinger. Twist the rose hip gently
