Rosehips

I bought a pound of dried rosehips from an herb supplier. Ive had them in tea and like them so I thought Id like to have some on hand here. I have roses growing all the time on my property and have never done a thing with the hips. So since its winter and Im thinking of spring I thought Id like to gather a few recipes I would like to try using rosehips. Hopefully some of these will inspire you to use them too.

Rose Hips-

The rose hip and rose haw, is the pomaceous fruit of the rose plant, that typically is red-to-orange, but might be dark purple-to-black in some species. Contrary to the fairly common myth, rosehips are not poisonous.

Rose hips of some species, especially Rosa canina (Dog Rose) and R. majalis, have been used as a source of Vitamin C. Rose hips are commonly used as an herbal tea, often blended with hibiscus and as an oil. They can also be used to make jam, jelly, marmalade and wine. Rose hip soup, "nyponsoppa," is especially popular in Sweden. Rhodomel, a type of mead, is made with rose hips.

Some species of rose are sometimes referred to as rose hip, including Rosa canina (dog rose), R. rubiginosa, and R. moschata (Musk-rose)

Kodiak Rose Hip Tea

Rose hips give a fruity hint of floral flavor to lightly spiced hot tea. If you are so inclined, spike it with a bit of Grand Marnier for a delicious hot toddy.

* 1 tea bag
* 1 Tablespoon dried rose hips
* 3 to 4 whole cloves
* Sugar or honey to taste
* 1 cup boiling water

Preparation:
Steep tea bag, rose hips, and cloves in boiling water for five minutes. Remove hips and cloves. Reheat if desired. Sweeten to taste with sugar or honey. Yield: 1 serving

Drying Rose Hips and Rose Hips Puree

4 cups of rose hips

Preparation:
Just after a frost is the best time to gather rose hips. Snap off the tails as you pick,or later when you reach home. Spread the hips out on a clean surface and allow to dry partially. When the skins begin to feel dried and shriveled, split the hips and take out the large seeds -- all of them. If you let the hips dry too much, it will be difficult to remove the seeds. If not dry enough, the inside pulp will be sticky and cling to the seeds. After the seeds are removed, allow the hips to dry completely before storing or they will not keep well. Store in small, sealed plastic bags. These will keep indefinitely in the freezer or for several months in the refrigerator. They are packed with vitamin C and are good to munch on anytime you need extra energy...or a moderately sweet nutlike "candy."

Making Puree:
Use soft ripe rose hips (the riper they are, the sweeter they are). It takes about 4 cups of rose hips to make 2 cups of puree. Remove stalks and blossom ends. Rinse berries in cold water. Put them into a pan and add enough water to almost cover. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Press through a sieve or strainer. All that does not go through the sieve is placed in the pan again. Add a little water, enough to almost cover, if you want a thicker puree, add slightly less. This time heat but do not boil so vigorously. This will dissolve a little more of the fruit so that it will go through the sieve. Press again and then repeat the process one more time. By now, most of the fruit should have gone through the sieve leaving only seeds and skin to discard.

Drying Puree or making "leather":
Line a cookie sheet, 12 by 17 inches, with plastic wrap. This size cookie sheet holds approximately 2 cups of puree. Spread puree or fruit leather evenly over the plastic but do not push it completely to the sides. Leave a bit of plastic showing for easy removal. Place on a card table or picnic table in the hot sun to dry. If the plastic is bigger than the cookie sheet and extends up the sides, anchor it with clothes pins so it will not flop down and cover the edges of the leather. Puree should dry in the sun six to eight hours.

Rose Hip Apple Sauce

* Apples
* Rose hip juice

Preparation:
Cook apples for making sauce in rose hip juice, or cook rose hips and apples together and puree them using a sieve or other straining device to remove the seeds. Proceed with standard applesauce recipe.

Rose Hip Crumble Pie

* Pastry for single-crust 9-lnch pie
* 1 cup dried rose hips
* 1/4 cup milk
* 1-1/2 cups sifted flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* Dash of salt
* 1/2 cup shortening
* 1-3/4 cups brown sugar
* 2 egg yolks, beaten
* 2 egg whites
* Pecan halves (optional)

Preparation:
Prepare pastry and line a pie pan. Soften rose hips in milk.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream in shortening and brown sugar, mixing well. This makes a crumbly mixture - reserve 1 cup for topping. To the remainder add the egg yolks, milk and rose hips. Beat the egg whites until peaks hold form. Fold into the berry mixture. Spoon into pie pan and sprinkle with the crumbly topping. Garnish with pecan halves, too, if you wish.

Bake at 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C.) for 35 to 45 minutes or until pie appears well done. Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Rosehip Jelly

* 4 quarts ripe rose hips
* 2 quarts water
* 1 package pectin crystals
* 5 cups sugar
* 1/2 cup lemon juice

Preparation:
Simmer rose hips in water until soft. Crush to mash, and strain through a jelly bag. Should make about 4 cups of rose hip juice.

Add to juice, lemon juice and pectin crystals and stir until mixture comes to a hard boil. Stir sugar in at once. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove jelly from heat and skim off foam with metal spoon. Pour jelly into hot sterilized jars. Yield: about 5 cups

Rose Hip Nut Bread

* Juice of 1 orange plus water to make 1 cup
* 1/2 cup chopped raisins
* 3/4 cup seeded and chopped wild rose hips
* 2 Tablespoons melted butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1-1/2 cups flour
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup nuts or sunflower seeds

Preparation:
In a large bowl, mix the orange juice, raisins, rose hips, butter, vanilla, and egg. Sift together and then add the dry ingredients. Mix until well blended but do not overmix or bread will be dry and heavy. Gently stir in nuts or sunflower seeds. Spoon batter into a well-greased 5 x 8-inch loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F. ( 175 degrees C.) for one hour. Yield: 1 loaf

Rose Hip Soup

* 1 quart rose hip juice or puree (fresh or canned)
* 2 to 4 Tablespoons honey
* 1 to 3 Tablespoons lemon juice or homemade cider vinegar, optional (Omit if using canned juice or puree.)
* 1 Tablespoon potato starch, cornstarch, or tapioca granules
* 6 (about) Tablespoons sour cream or yogurt, optional

Preparation:
Heat the rose hips juice or puree, honey, and lemon juice or vinegar. Adjust amounts of honey and lemon juice or vinegar to give a lively sweet tart flavor.

Mix the starch or tapioca in enough cold water to moisten it, and stir it in. Cook till the soup thickens slightly and clears. Float a spoon of sour cream or yogurt in each bowl of soup when it is served. Yield: 5 to 6 medium bowls

Variations
Using Dried Rose Hips:
Soak l/2 cup dried rose hips in a quart of water for a few minutes, then cook till soft. Mash with a fork and strain, reserving liquid. Add another cup of water to the pulp. heat to a boil, then strain. Combine the juice from both strainings and use for making the soup.

Rose Hip Pudding:
Add honey to taste, and increase starch or tapioca to 5-6 tablespoons. After it has thickened pour the pudding into individual dishes or into a serving dish to cool. The flavor is brisk and very fruity.

Rose Hip Syrup

* 4 cups rose hips
* 2 cups water
* 1 cup sugar

Preparation:
Wash rose hips thoroughly. Remove stems and flower remnants. Boil hips and water for 20 minutes in a covered saucepan. Strain through a jelly bag. Return clear juice to kettle. Add sugar. stir well and boil five minutes. Refrigerate until used.

Wild Violets

I have had a love affair with violets for as long as I can remember. They grew wild in the woods near me in NJ when I lived there. My gramma had them too. When I went to the Jr. Prom yrs later I even asked the boy who was taking me to get me violets as my flowers....I was wearing a lavender and lace gown. Violets are tiny lil things that you might even miss unless you look close. The smell is heavenly but fleeting, that is because one of the components in them actually numbs your nose once you smell them. So today I thought Id blog on another of my favorites and also a few recipes. Yes you can use them in food as long as they are organic, not sprayed, and not ones from the side of the road. If you read all the way down to the bottom theres some yummy surprises to top this all off hehee. Violets --Viola ordorata, also known as sweet violets, so delicate with their velvety purple petals. For me, they always conjure up images of lace gloved matrons sipping sherry from cut crystal glasses. The air, of course, is thick with the intoxicatingly clean, sweet perfume that could only belong to violets. Many cultures, primarily the Celts and the Germans, celebrate the arrival of springtime at the first sighting of violets. The German's further celebrate this event with dancing and drinking of May wine, a concoction made of wine, herbs and of course violets. Combining wine and violets dates back to the days of the ancient Greeks, who would not only put the petals in the wine, but also scatter them all about the banquet hall. They also wore garlands decorated with violets in the belief that this would help to prevent dizziness and headaches from overindulging in drink. (There must be some basis for this since today in France violets are used in the treatment of hangovers). Napoleon was also very fond of violets, even going so far as to adopt the violet as the symbol of his party. Josephine is reputed to have worn violets in her locket, and covered Napleon's grave with violet petals. Throughout the years people have used violets for medicinal purpose, usually in the form of a tea taken internally. In Pakistan, it is drunk to increase sweating and thus reduce fever. It is also reputed to relieve anxiety, insomnia and reduce high blood pressure. In the 17th century throat lozenges, made with violet conserve, were used to treat bronchitis, as well as to combat sinus congestion. Violet sugar was a popular staple in apothecaries of the time. This was used to treat consumption. These treatments worked because of the antibacterial properties of the blossoms. In addition, they contain vitamin C and A, and an aspirin like compound. For external treatments, violets were mixed with vinegar to make liniments. These were used to relieve gout, and to ease liver and spleen problems. The Celts were known to steep violets petals in goat's milk to make a facial treatment aimed at improving one's complexion. One of violet's most notable trait's is its delicate fragrance. It is ironic that this aroma is rarely used today to make perfume because the scent dissipates quickly. It is often replaced by synthetics. When violets are used in the kitchen, it is their candied form that most of us are familiar with. In the Victorian times these were so popular that they were often served as a confection for high tea. They were also used to garnish cakes, pastries, flans and puddings. These days people tend to use the fresh petals more than the candied ones. I love to add them to chilled soups (they are especially striking on creamy spring pea soup). Try adding them just before serving to a salad of fresh spring greens. Not only do they add rich color, but a delicious floral taste as well. I will often use Johnny-Jump-ups in addition to the violets. They, along with pansies, are part of the violet family. Their flavor and perfume is not as strong as those of the violet's, but their vivid colors, and contrasting face-like patterns transform a plan salad into a delightful treat. Violets are also used to add deep color and perfumed taste to jellies, jams, and liqueurs. Commercially available violet water can be used to add that floral quality to cakes, tea breads, ices, and poached fruit. The garden is where violets truly shine. Being a perennial, you can enjoy them year after year, in rock gardens, pots, borders and formal gardens, almost anywhere there is rich, moist soil, full sun (partial shade in very hot regions) and good drainage. Native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, violets have now naturalized in most temperate zones. They propagate by seed, or by root division. Plant them in fall in mild winter areas, and fertilize well to insure a showy burst of flowers come spring. Violet and Orange Whipped Cream and Strawberries serves 4 2 tsp. candied violets* 2 tsp. candied orange peel 2 cups unsweetened whipped cream 2 baskets strawberries, stemmed and quarted 4 fresh violet blossoms, or Johnny-jump-ups With a very sharp knife, chop the violets and the orange peel separately. Place the whipped cream in a bowl. Gently fold in the violets and the peel without deflating the cream. Divide the berries into four decorative dessert cups. Top with the flavored whipped cream, and serve, garnished with a fresh violet blossom on each dessert. *available in specialty markets. Or make them yourself when you have violets blooming, its ez and I store them in an air tight container. Candied Violets Makes 100 If the eggs in your area are questionable as far as the risk of salmonella, feel free to substitute an equivalent amount of meringue powder, available at many baking supply stores. 1 large egg white 1/3 cup water 1 16-oz. box superfine sugar 100 freshly picked violets on the stem -- In a small, deep bowl, lightly beat together the egg white and water. Set aside. -- Pour the sugar into something smallish and deep, like a loaf pan. Working with 1 violet at a time (I warned you, this is tedious!), dip the violet into the egg white mixture, then hold it over the sugar and snip the blossom from its stem. Gently scoop more sugar on top of the violet so that it's completely covered. Discard the stem. Your scissors will get really gummed up after a few dozen violets, so you may have to stop and rinse them from time to time. -- Remove the violet from the sugar with a fork and lay it carefully on a wire rack to dry completely. Repeat until remaining violets are gone, or you are ready to scream, whichever comes first. Allow violets to completely dry at room temperature for several days before storing in airtight containers. Storage Candied violets keep for several months in a cool, dark place, and look gorgeous scattered over cakes, ice cream, and custards. Violet Muffins 1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (makes 6 to 10 muffins) or use your own muffin recipe 1/2 cup fresh violet leaves and blooms Add 1/2 cup fresh violets to each box of corn muffin mix. Sprinkle tops of muffins with violet leaves. Bake as directed. To get extra vitamins from the violets, mix some fresh violet blooms and leaves into some margarine (whipped would be best), and have it ready when the muffins come out of the oven. Violet Jelly 2 cups violet blooms (the darker blooms make a richer color) Juice of 1 lemon 1 package commercial pectin 4 cups sugar Put violet blooms in a jar or other glass container. Cover blooms with boiling water. Let it steep for 24 hours. This is called "infusion". After 24 hours, strain the liquid from the blooms. Put 2 cups of violet liquid in a saucepan. Add lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a boil and then add sugar. Return to a boil and boil hard for one full minute. Pour into sterilized jars and seal. Violet Jam 1 cup violet blossoms, tightly packed 1 1/2 cups water Juice of 1 lemon 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 package powdered pectin Place violets in food processor. Add 3/4 cup of water and lemon juice. Blend to coarse paste, add sugar, blend until dissolved. In a pan, heat 3/4 cup of water, then stir in pectin. Boil hard for 1 minute. Add to blender; blend for about 1 minute. Pour jam into small jars and seal. Store in freezer Violet Vinegar - pick enough violet flowers to fill a pint jar - pour unseasoned white wine vinegar over flowers - put lid on - sit container in windowsill for 4 days - strain into another pint jar, put lid on and refrigerate. Salad Dressing - 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise - 1 tsp. sugar - 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. Violet Vinegar - Mix well Sweet Violet Herb Salad 1 head of endive 1 tbsp finely chopped celery 1 tbsp finely chopped, tender fennel stalks (peeled if necessary) 1 tbsp chopped parsley 1 tbsp chopped chervil 2 olives, finely chopped salad dressing to taste petals of 30 sweet violets Separate the endive leaves and place in a salad bowl. Add the remaining salad ingredients, including the herbs, and gently mix well. Add the dressing and toss the salad. Sprinkle on the sweet violet petals. Serves 4. And two more recipes which have nothing to do with violets except the name and sounded like a great way to top this off!!! Blue Violet Martini * 1 ounce Hpnotiq * 1/2 ounce Chambord * 1 ounce Absolut Raspberri * splash of pineapple juice * 3 blackberries PREPARATION: In an ice-filled mixing glass, combine Hypnotiq, Chambord, Absolut and juice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with skewered blackberries. April's Violet 1 1/2 oz. Bombay Sapphire gin 2tsp. Blue Curacao liqueur 3 drops grenadine syrup Pour into a mixing glass half filled with ice. Add ingredients, stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and serve.

Lavender Jelly

LAVENDER JELLY

1/2 cup fresh Melissa lavender flowers
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 cups sugar
1 three-ounce pouch liquid pectin

Bring two cup water to boil- remove from heat and add flowers- steep for twenty minutes and strain. In heavy saucepan, add infused water, vinegar and sugar, bring to boil, stirring constantly for 10 minutes or until; sugar is dissolved. Add pectin, return to boil and boil for one minute. Remove from heat and skim off foam. Pour in hot sterilized jars and seal.

***As with any herbs you use for food, they must be free of pesticides. If you purchase lavender for use make sure its culinary grade lavender. That way its organic for sure.

Lavender blends well with lemon, almond, blueberries, apple, peaches, nectarine, and chocolate. Experiment but use a light touch so doesn’t taste like potpourri or soap.

Recipes:

Lavender powder Sugar - Simply put 1/4 cup of organic lavender in a pint container and fill with Confectioners sugar. Shake. Tie a small strainer with ribbon around the box to make a nice gift. Tell them to sift the powdered sugar over pancakes etc. or use in recipes calling for powdered sugar like glaze or cookies. A subtle lavender taste. Variation: Snip half a vanilla bean and add to the powdered sugar and lavender.

Lavender Butter- Add a TB. lavender buds to a stick of margarine or butter. Let sit in the refrigerator. Serve with crackers. Or on a small round of toast topped with smoked turkey.

Vanilla or Chocolate cream pie with lavender: Infuse 1/4 cup of lavender in 2 cups of milk overnight in refrigerator. Strain and use milk to make choc. or vanilla instant or cooked pudding following pie instructions. Combine pudding with Dreamwhip and make a delicious pie. Use ready made crumb crust.

Lavender Blueberry Syrup: Infuse 1 TB. lavender in 1 -2 cups blueberry syrup in microwave. Strain and use on pancakes, French toast or waffles.

Easy Herbes de Provence bread: Use Pillsbury bread from the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Unroll. Spray with margarine spray. Sprinkle with Herbs de Provence. Reroll and bake according to instructions.