Feeling cold or tired? The easiest way to get out of a cold or illness as quickly as possible is to drink rosehip tea.
Kapitoly
What it is and how it’s grown
Rosehip tea is a tea made from the fruit of the rose hip, which is picked in the autumn. The rose hips should be fully ripe and red. After picking, they are dried or you can use them to make rosehip syrup or marmalade, which can also be used to make tea. They are also added to baked tea mixes with other fruits such as apples, pears, plums, blueberries or raspberries.
From rosehips can be prepared not only tea, but also wine or sauce for meat, which is traditionally eaten with venison.
The rose hip is a wild rose that grows wild on the edges of paths, pastures or near woods. It grows wild throughout Europe and the Americas, where it was introduced by settlers and has become extinct. Its medicinal properties have been known since time immemorial and it is characterised by the very distinctive scent of its flowers, which can also be eaten and made into teas or syrups.
You can plant it at home
You can plant the rosehip in your garden. It is propagated by cuttings and will soon grow into a sturdy shrub. It will do with rainwater and occasional watering in the hot summer heat. It’s not a demanding plant and will reward you with loads of fruit in autumn.
When picking, take care to pick the rosehips in places where there is not much road traffic or pollution. The rose hips should be healthy and hard. Do not pick too soft ones, as they are overripe and could spoil the whole batch. It is best to pick rose hips on mountain slopes where there is clean air and a healthy environment.
Use a canvas bag or basket to collect the rose hips so they don’t steam up.
How to drink
The darts are dried after picking. To make tea, just throw them into a strainer and pour hot water over them. They then need to be steeped for about 10 minutes until the tea is slightly reddish in colour.
Rosehip tea is best drunk in the evening when you are tired and wrapped in a blanket after a long day. It has a mild taste and aroma and can be sweetened, preferably with honey, which is also effective against colds.
Most famous recipes and preparation instructions
The easiest way is to pour hot water over the rosehips, either dried or fresh, preferably so that it is just before the boiling point. Water that is too hot could destroy the valuable vitamin C contained in the rosehips. The tea is then left to infuse for 10 minutes, but it can also be 24 hours to get the maximum result. Some recipes recommend that the dried rose hips be pounded before infusing.
Rosehip syrup, which is also used to make tea, is prepared by simmering the rosehips until soft and straining through a sieve. The seeds and skins would be bad in the brine. You then preserve the syrup and sweeten it with sugar.
Blueberries are very acidic, so you need to add more sugar than you would to regular fruit jams and syrups.
It is also possible to pit the rosehips before cooking, but there are small bristles in the rosehips that prick your fingers and make them itchy. It is therefore better to boil them whole.
The rose hips can be used to make liqueur. They are put in good quality alcohol for up to 5 weeks and then mixed with water and sugar. This can be sipped as an aperitif.
Health benefits
Rose hips are such a little vitamin bomb. They are especially high in vitamin C, which is essential for the proper functioning of the body. It helps in curing diseases, especially flu and colds. It is also helpful in the absorption of certain minerals and trace elements.
In tea you will find flavonoids, which are effective antioxidants and have a preventive and curative effect against many diseases, both serious and mild inflammatory diseases. Especially for inflammations in the throat and upper respiratory tract as well as bronchial tubes, rose hips are very effective. Rosehip tea should be drunk especially in winter, when it is the season of frequent colds and flu.
It is best taken as a preventive measure, but also as a complementary treatment for the disease itself.
It strengthens the immune system and is very effective in wound healing. It helps with stomach problems and digestive disorders. It is also suitable for reducing diet. The infusion is very tasty and there is no need to sweeten it too much. While fresh rose hips are very acidic, tea made from dried rose hips is not so acidic.
It is effective against coughs and bronchitis. It regulates blood pressure and has positive effects on the cardiovascular system. Rose hips are good for the heart and blood vessels. In rose hips are also represented by vitamins A, K and B, it also contains carotenes, the need for which increases especially in summer when sunbathing.
And in oil form
Rosehip oil is also produced from rosehips, which delays skin ageing, is effective against wrinkles, moisturises and strengthens the skin’s defences. It is effective for the treatment and reduction of scars. Suitable for sensitive, mature and dry skin. It is appreciated by women who do not like too greasy creams and oils. You can also prepare a rosehip face mask with yoghurt.
Simply crush them and mix the juice with yogurt.
Rose hips are anti-inflammatory, so they are also used to make ointments, which can then be combined with other herbs such as St. John’s wort, calendula or chamomile.
