Rosehips

Last Updated on Tuesday, 15 December 2009 19:08 Written by Xylaria Saturday, 10 October 2009 20:51

 

Rosehips are plentiful, and are an unmistakable source of food from august right through into winter. They are a good source of vitamins and minerals, and can be used in a wide variety of recipes as a native substitute for tomatoes to a making a sweet Scandinavian fruit soup.

 

There are several methods from separating the nutritious fruit from the irritating seed hairs, I find this methods the easiest. I used japanese rosehips, as they are large and plentiful, but all types of rosehip can be used, from dog rose to sweet briar. Only species roses produce hips.

 

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I collected a few kilos, but this method works well in smaller quantities and can be done on a campfire.

 

Cover the rosehips with water. For a thicker sauce use slightly less water.

 

Simmer until soft. The time depends on species and how mature the hips are.

 

Mash the soft fruit with either a gloved hand, ricer or hand crafted Ray Mears style pestle you have just whittled.

 

Transfer pulp to cloth. Tie the opposite corners together of the cloth with sheep bend, and then pull tight and repeat, sealing in the pulp. Use jambag if posh.

 

Wearing gloves squeeze as much as the pulp through as possible. I find it useful to twist the bag as well.

 

You now have a rosehip sauce/passata.

 

Nyponsoppa

 

You will need about a litre of thin rosehip sauce.
Add 2 heaped tablespoons of potato powder to pan (I used lidl puree)
Heat until thickens
Add sugar to taste. The recipes vary widely on how much sugar to add. I added about 100 grams with is very much on the savory side, most recipes ask for more.

I served the soup hot with crème fresh and flaked almonds. I wouldn't add almonds again they ruin the texture,. It is served as a sweet in sweden, with almond biscuits. It is served hot or cold as a sweet. It is really nice hot on a very cold day. A little cinnamon is nice addition.

 

Chinese sauce

 

Carrier bag of japanese rosehips

1/2 inch of fresh ginger diced
teaspoon of five spice
dash of L&P worcestershire sauce
dash of soy sauce

You will need ½ a litre of thick rosehip sauce, it should be passata thickness.
. Add other ingredients. Leave to infuse for a day then use as stir-fry sauce.

It tasted a bit wrong when I first made it. It was then put in jar a traveled with me to swift valley and it was used on the first night there. The flavor does need to infuse. I fried up some pork and chucked the sauce on with some sliced carrot. It was served with burdock root that had been boiled dry in shallow pan and some noodles.

 

Spicy Rosehip sauce

one carrier bag of dog rosehips
cayenne
star anise
chinese five spice
fresh ginger
1 large onion
honey
small handful crab apples (semi sweet mini ferals)

You will need a about a ½ litre of thick passata like rosehip sauce. Dice the onion and fry with the cayenne, the five spice and the crushed star anise. Add the diced fresh ginger. The fried onion mix can be blended at this point if your nearest tree has a plug. Add onion mix to rosehip puree and then add a handful finely diced crab apples. The honey is added to taste to balance the cayenne.

I used this sauce chucked in a pot with chicken and some more water and allowed to simmer for hour on a fire. It was served in tortilla with sorrel.